On a $15 Minimum Wage, Bernie Was on the Right Side of History

Eight Democrats joined with Republicans yesterday to prevent Bernie Sanders from moving to add a $15 minimum wage to the COVID relief bill. History will not absolve them.

Senate Continues Work On COVID-19 Relief Bill

US Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) passes through a hallway at the US Capitol on March 5, 2021, in Washington, DC. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)


Senate Democrats’ COVID-19 relief legislation will not include a $15 minimum wage, after eight Democrats joined with Republicans on Friday to prevent Sen. Bernie Sanders from moving to add the provision back to the bill.

President Joe Biden’s “American Rescue Plan,” released on the day of his inauguration, called on Congress to raise the wage in the pandemic aid package.

“Throughout the pandemic, millions of American workers have put their lives on the line to keep their communities and country functioning, including the 40 percent of frontline workers who are people of color,” Biden’s plan stated. “As President Biden has said, let’s not just praise them, let’s pay them.”

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