House Committee Dems Advance Minimum Wage Increase

The first House committee early Wednesday advanced its portion of the $1.9 trillion stimulus bill, with the Education and Labor Committee overnight giving its stamp of approval to a minimum wage increase coupled with funds for school reopenings and new COVID-19-related labor standards.

Five more panels plan to act Wednesday on their parts of the stimulus bill, with six more joining in the coming days -- a schedule that likely sets up a House floor vote the week of Feb. 22.

Late Tuesday, the Energy and Commerce Committee released its draft bill with big changes for drug makers that do business with Medicaid.

Meanwhile, the Senate Finance committee and other panels in that chamber are planning to skip formal hearings and votes, given the time taken up by the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump.

The Education and Labor Committee voted 27-21 along party lines early Wednesday for legislation that also includes billions of dollars to reopen schools, bolster childcare centers and expand access to health insurance.

“This will lift nearly 1 million people out of poverty and put money into the pockets of 27 million workers, who will accelerate our economic recovery by spending that money in local businesses,” said Chairman Bobby Scott of Virginia.

Democrats defeated dozens of Republican amendments, including those aimed at reopening schools more quickly or stopping the wage increase, during an all-night hearing that ran for more than 13 hours.

Republicans cited a Congressional Budget Office report from Monday that estimated more than doubling the minimum wage by 2025 would result in 1.4 million fewer jobs.

“Why in the world would we vote to reduce employment when so many people are struggling in the pandemic and desperate to get back to work?” said Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, the committee’s top Republican.

It remains unclear if the minimum wage will be permitted to stay in the fast-track budget process that Democrats are using to pass the bill in the Senate with just a simple majority, rather than the usual 60 votes needed to end a filibuster.