Senate parliamentarian: $15 minimum wage increase can't be included in relief package

Supporters of the $15 minimum wage increase.
(Image credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

The Senate parliamentarian ruled on Thursday evening that Democrats cannot include a $15 per hour minimum wage in their $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package.

Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough determined that the policy did not meet the standard for it to be included under budget reconciliation, which allows the Senate to pass certain budget-related bills with a simple majority.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.