by Daria Bedenko
Feb. 26, 2021
Earlier in the day, US Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough ruled that the proposal to increase the federal minimum wage to $15 cannot be added to the coronavirus relief plan
White House press secretary Jen Psaki issued a statement on Thursday, saying that President Joe Biden is “disappointed” in the ruling by the Senate parliamentarian to order the minimum wage increase proposal out of the coronavirus relief bill.
“He [Joe Biden] respects the parliamentarian’s decision and the Senate’s process. He will work with leaders in Congress to determine the best path forward because no one in this country should work full time and live in poverty”, Psaki said in a statement.
According to the press secretary, Biden also “urges Congress to move quickly to pass the American Rescue Plan, which includes $1400 rescue checks for most Americans, funding to get this virus under control, aid to get our schools reopened.”
The parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough, earlier in the day ruled that the minimum wage boost proposal is not an appropriate policy to be added to the coronavirus relief bill.
While Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said he was “very pleased” with this ruling, Senator Bernie Sanders issued a statement saying that he disagrees with the decision and pledged to continue work on implementing the minimum wage increase.
The proposal on $15 minimum wage is one of the key points of Biden’s “American Rescue Plan”, along with his other suggestions regarding how to tackle the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States.
Published at sputniknews.com
