Biden’s minimum wage faces a tough battle with GOP

Elected president Joe BidenJoe Biden Fears of Insider Attack Leads to Additional FBI Screening of National Guard Troops: AP Iran Convicts US Businessman on Espionage Charge: DC Report, State Capitals See Few Trouble, Heavy Security Amid Protest concerns MOREThe proposal to raise the minimum wage to $ 15 an hour emerges as an early source of partisan divisions in its wider COVID-19 contingency plan.

Biden received praise from progressives for including a policy to increase the federal minimum wage for the first time in more than a decade in its $ 1.9 trillion support package unveiled Thursday.

But some lawmakers across the aisle were quick to criticize that part of his plan, arguing that it would hinder rather than help the recovery.

“Enforcing a $ 15 minimum wage in a coronavirus bill would do nothing but shut down the millions of small businesses that already have life support and force the survivors to fire workers,” Sen said. Tim ScottTimothy (Tim) Eugene ScottHarris resigns from Senate seat Monday McConnell says he won’t decide whether to vote to condemn Trump McConnell will no longer take up his role as Trump’s main defender (RS.C.).

Pennsylvania Sen. Pat ToomeyPatrick (Pat) Joseph Toomey Government Used Patriot Act To Collect Website Visitor Logs In 2019 Appeals Court Rules NSA’s Bulk Phone Data Collection Illegal Dunford Withdraws From Consideration To Lead Coronavirus Monitoring Panel (R), who is not seeking reelection, said COVID-19 assistance should focus on massively expanding vaccinations, not raising the minimum wage.

“If the federal government imposes a universal minimum wage of $ 15, many low-income Americans will lose their current job and find fewer job opportunities in the future,” he said.

Biden, aiming to pass the bipartisan aid package, appeared to be anticipating some of the ensuing GOP backlash by noting Thursday that raising the minimum wage is popular even in red states.

‘People tell me it will be difficult to succeed. Florida just passed, no matter how divided that state is, they just passed, ”he said.

President TrumpDonald Trump Iran Convicts US Businessman on Espionage Charge: DC Report, State Capitals See Few Troubles, Heavy Security Amid Protest Concerns Pardon Seekers Paid Trump Allies Tens of Thousands to Lobby President: NYT MORE Florida won in the past two elections, and the state has a Republican governor and two GOP senators.

Still, in November, voters in the Sunshine State approved a voting initiative, raising the minimum wage to $ 15.

“The rest of the country is also ready to move,” said Biden.

Twenty states and numerous places raised their own minimum wages on January 1.

National polls indicate broad support for a $ 15 minimum wage. A 2019 Pew poll found that 67 percent of Americans supported a $ 15 rate, while a more recent August Ipsos poll found that 72 percent of respondents was in favor of raising the minimum wage by a certain amount, including 62 percent of Republicans.

But it will likely prove challenging to get 10 Senate Republicans to back Biden’s COVID-19 proposal and avoid a GOP filibuster.

Moderates such as Sens. Susan CollinsSusan Margaret Collins Impeachment lawsuit tests Trump’s hold on Senate GOP ‘Almost Heaven, West Virginia’ – Joe Manchin and a 50-50 Senate McConnell are about to teach Trump about political power for the last time MORE (R-Maine), Lisa MurkowskiLisa Ann Murkowski: Democratic lawmaker says ‘massacre’ chasing Pelosi in insurrection impeachment trial tests Trump’s hold on Senate GOP ‘Almost Heaven, West Virginia’ – Joe Manchin and a 50-50 Senate LAKE (R-Alaska) and Mitt RomneyWillard (Mitt) Mitt Romney Reliability Survey Tests Trump’s Hold on Senate GOP ‘Almost Heaven, West Virginia’ – Joe Manchin and a 50-50 Senate The Hill’s Morning Report – Biden asks Congress for largest relief effort in US history expand (R-Utah) did not respond to requests for comment from The Hill.

A bill passed by the House in 2019 that would have gradually increased the minimum wage until it reached $ 15 in 2025 was never brought up by the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellGraham calls on Schumer to vote to dismiss article of impeachment against Trump Rove: Chances of conviction increase as Giuliani represents Trump in Senate impeachment process Boebert communications director resigns amid Capitol riot: Report MORE (R-Ky.).

Her. Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth WarrenBiden Taps Rohit Chopra to Lead CFPB, Gensler for SEC Chair: Reports Biden’s Tax Hike Proposals Face Bumpy Road Porter Loses Seat on House Panel Overseeing Financial Sector MORE (D-Mass.), A progressive who praised Biden’s proposal, said Democrats should use legal solutions if enough Republicans don’t get on board.

“Let’s be clear: if Republicans want to drag their feet while working families struggle, the Democratic majority must use every legislative tool to pass it,” she tweeted, a clear reference to budgetary reconciliation, an instrument that would allow Democrats to pass legislation by simple majority.

But policies that have no direct budgetary effects, or are merely a side effect of the budget, are prohibited in the reconciliation laws, meaning that a minimum wage hike is likely to remain subject to a GOP filibuster.

While Democrats could get much of Biden’s COVID-19 package through Congress without Republican backing, they will have little choice but to secure GOP votes if they want to raise the minimum wage.

In the House, where Democrats can easily pass their preferential policies, even with a narrow majority, the opposition from the GOP is already clear.

Rep. Jason SmithJason Thomas Smith READ: The Republicans Who Voted To Challenge House GOP Election Results Express Concern Over Biden’s Top Cabinet Nominees Jason Smith Will Serve As Top Republican On House Budget Committee (Mo.), the top Republican on the Committee on Budgets, called Biden’s proposal a liberal wishlist and condemned adding more “ rules, costs and burdens for small businesses. ”

“Using an economic crisis as an excuse to promote an unrelated agenda is the kind of politics that hard-working Americans are tired of,” he said.

A 2019 Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report on the Democratic Minimum Wage Act said there was a range of possible outcomes for employment, with job losses of “about zero to 3.7 million.”

In the middle scenario, the economy would have 1.3 million fewer jobs, even if 1.3 million were to be lifted out of poverty. About 17 million people would see their income increase, the CBO estimates.

Conservative groups like the Job Creators Network say changes to the tax code are preferable to raising the minimum wage.

“A better approach to helping early-stage workers and small businesses is the Biden government’s proposal to expand the Earned Income Tax Credit,” said Alfredo Ortiz, the group’s president.

That approach, which Biden included as part of his COVID-19 contingency plan, requires the government to increase the incomes of low-paid workers rather than businesses.

Brian Gardner, Washington chief policy strategist for Stifel Financial Corp., said he expects Biden’s proposal to be watered down through negotiations.

“We view yesterday’s release as an opening offer,” he said, predicting that a final package would come with a price tag less than half what Biden had suggested.

Getting a deal on the minimum wage will be an early test of Biden’s campaign insurance that he could work down the aisle to advance Democratic priorities.

Her. Chuck GrassleyChuck GrassleyImpeachment Trial Tests Trump’s Hold on Senate GOP McConnell is about to retrain Trump on political power for the last time. Nighttime Health Care: Biden Unveils COVID-19 Emergency Plan | Post-Holiday Rise Hits New Deadly Records | Senate reports faults ‘broken’ system for rises in insulin prices MORE (R-Iowa), who until recently chaired the Senate Treasury Committee, was skeptical of the package, saying that “few line items in this bill seem to undermine the bill’s good intentions,” but also sounded optimistic.

“I am open to more relief in the face of this crisis, but I will have to take a closer look at the proposal and maybe even see changes before I can offer my full support,” he said.