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.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.