Pres. Biden Says $15/Hour Wage Hike Might Be Excluded in Pandemic Relief Package

• Neville Gabby
• 0 comment
• February 10, 2021

In a recent CBS interview, Pres. Biden disclosed that the provision aiming to raise federal minimum wage to $15 could be excluded from the $1.9 relief package. Nonetheless, the President added that he would be urging Congress to pass a separate bill that will see to the promised $15 per hour minimum wage increase. He believes that it isn’t right for workers to still live below poverty wage while working more than 40 hours a week.

What Will Be Included in the $1.9 Trillion Stimulus Package

As President Biden promised, he and his Democratic allies in Congress will obtain the $1.9 trillion relief package, even without the support of Republican lawmakers. They did so through a congressional process known as reconciliation procedure. However, based on the rules of reconciliation, only legislation that impacts the federal budget will be passed in the final bill.

That being the case, the bill passed under reconciliation procedure Includes items like the $170 billion allocated for college institutions and K-12 schools. There is also a $30 billion allocation to provide citizens with assistance in the settlement of unpaid household expenses like utilities and rent.

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders who is now the Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee said he is still exerting effort, and looking for ways of including the minimum $15/hour minimum wage hike in the $1.9 trillion stimulus bill. According to the Vermont Senator, he is counting on a team of lawyers to make a case of citing the minimum wage hike as having important budget implications in accordance with the reconciliation rules.