Democrats under Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer are stunned. Even Bernie won’t do it! During Thursday’s late-night “vote-a-rama” Senator Bernie Sanders unexpectedly supported a Republican amendment which blocked raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour during the COVID19 shutdowns which have devastated the US Economy.
The Epoch Times reports, “Sanders, a vocal proponent of raising the minimum wage, responded to the initiative by saying he would support not raising it during the pandemic.
“It was never my intention to increase the minimum wage to $15 immediately and during the pandemic,” Sanders said. “My legislation gradually increases the minimum wage to $15 an hour over a five-year period and that is what I believe we have got to do.”
After the 15-hour long marathon session of votes the US Senate approved a budget resolution which will allow budget reconciliation to pass the Democrats pork-stuffed COVID Relief bill by a simple majority, without even a single GOP vote.
A Voice Vote Called And Bernie Blew Their Minds
During the proceedings Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) proposed an amendment that would ban the $15 minimum wage boost during the pandemic.
“A $15 federal minimum wage would be devastating for our hardest-hit small businesses at a time when they can least afford it,” Ernst said.
The amendment passed by a voice-vote, not requiring a roll-call that would have forced Democrats to go painfully on-record for easy targeting by the #FightFor15 crowd, but notably Sanders and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) billed as “the most powerful man in America” in the split Senate stood out. Traditionally a moderate, The Hill asked Manchin if he would back a $15 minimum wage on Tuesday, “No I’m not. I’m supportive of basically having something that’s responsible and reasonable.”
It’s the First Truly Bi-Partisan Move- And The Democrat Base is FURIOUS
Sen. Joni Ernst took to twitter with her reaction to the unexpected moment. “Tonight I got the entire Senate —Democrats and Republicans — to agree not to hike the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour during a global pandemic, which would kill jobs and destroy small businesses.”
Tonight I got the entire Senate —Democrats and Republicans — to agree not to hike the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour during a global pandemic, which would kill jobs and destroy small businesses. https://t.co/otHBMQEsgJ
— Joni Ernst (@SenJoniErnst) February 5, 2021
Sanders was quick to defend himself from his outraged voter base. Sanders conceded that the ONLY way the Democrats will get their way will be to steamroll Republicans using the reconciliation process, not through bipartisanship as Biden claims to seek. “Let’s be clear. We will never get 10 votes from Senate Republicans to pass a $15 an hour minimum wage. The ONLY way we can do it now with 51 votes is through the reconciliation process.”
Let's be clear. We will never get 10 votes from Senate Republicans to pass a $15 an hour minimum wage. The ONLY way we can do it now with 51 votes is through the reconciliation process.
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) February 7, 2021
Social media has been abuzz as Joe Biden has acknowledged that his $15/hr. minimum wage will not likely survive into the already bloated bill. This is a massive blow to the supposed “Unity” that the Biden/Harris regime is desperate to demonstrate as Republicans in the Senate refuse to cooperate with their agenda and the GOP in the House of Representatives turn on each other.
Biden $15 minimum wage plan would cut 1.4 million jobs in 2025: CBO https://t.co/SHiZmO8bD8 pic.twitter.com/7OcCT5BXtY
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 8, 2021
