A number of progressives called for the Senate political tactic to be abolished.
Democrats are preparing for a fresh fight to end the filibuster after the Senate parliamentarian advised on Thursday that the $15 minimum wage could not be included in President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill. Elizabeth MacDonough, the nonpartisan Senate parliamentarian, said including the $15 minimum wage proposal in the bill would violate the Byrd Rule—a precedent that bars items not directly related to the budget from being included in reconciliation bills. President Biden has since signaled that he will not go against the judgment of the unelected advisor, meaning the $15 minimum wage will have to be passed in a separate bill, should the White House still pursue the policy. Reacting to the Senate parliamentarian decision, a number of progressive lawmakers called for the filibuster to be thrown out as they sought to remove another potential blockade to the $15 minimum wage measure.
