Rep. Ro Khanna: Democrats Should Ignore the Senate Parliamentarian and Pass $15 Minimum Wage Hike
The House of Representatives has voted to pass President Biden's $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package that includes an increase to the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 an hour, which could now be stripped out in the final bill after the unelected Senate parliamentarian found it does not comply with budget rules. Democratic Senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona have also said they'll oppose the measure. Congressmember Ro Khanna of California says the parliamentarian misruled" in this case and that Democrats should pass the wage hike anyway. I don't know any part of this country where someone can survive on $7.25," he says. There is precedent for not listening to the parliamentarian's advice, and we are hopeful that the vice president, or whoever is in the Senate chair, will do that."