With the vote still pending on Friday over the stalemate over unemployment benefits, the measure to raise the minimum wage to $ 15 by 2025 attracted only 42 supporters – and 58 opponents. It was unclear when the vote-a-rama would resume, with text not yet available for the new plan.
“If anyone thinks we’re giving up this issue, it’s their fault,” Sanders told reporters. “If we have to vote on it time and time again, we will – and we will succeed.”
While Republicans made it clear that they were willing to debate the stimulus package with all sorts of amendments doomed to fail, it was also clear on Friday that there were issues far more important than a minority united in opposition. Lawmakers in both parties quickly focused on Mr. Manchin, who has repeatedly called for the overall bill to be more targeted and who has singled out the provision of unemployment as an example.
Since the existing payments of $ 300 per week would expire next weekend, Mr. Biden’s stimulus plan and the House Bill passed last weekend to implement it proposed to increase aid to $ 400 a week and extend it to the end of August.
But Mr. Manchin and other moderates were worried it was too high, and leading Democrats were estimating an alternative that would keep the weekly benefit at $ 300, but extend it until early October. They also added a sweetener: a new provision that would forgive unemployment benefits tax of up to $ 10,200.
Because they believed they had an agreement, the Democrats are preparing for a vote on the proposal, but Mr. And after hours of negotiation, they announced a new plan. The weekly benefit would remain at $ 300, but the new end date would last on September 6 and last only a week longer than Mr. Biden suggested it. The tax sweetener will only be available to those earning less than $ 150,000.
The whole exercise was aimed at Mr. Persuading Manchin not to endorse an alternative amendment by Senator Rob Portman, Ohio Republican, which would keep unemployment payments at $ 300 and shorten the duration of the program, which would set an end date to July 18. If accepted, the proposal is likely to undermine Democratic support for the stimulus plan.