WHOOPS, Y'MEAN THERE ARE RULES?  WHAT KIND OF A COUNTRY IS THIS? – AT 11:23 P.M. ET:  President Biden's ill-timed and economically dicey call for a $15 minimum wage has hit a mine in Congress.  From Fox Business: 

The Senate Parliamentarian said on Thursday night that a federal minimum wage hike to $15 per hour does not fit the criteria to be included in the Democrats’ $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package.
The measure does not fall in line with the requirements to be passed via the fast-track budget reconciliation process, a source familiar with the ruling said.

The reconciliation process will allow Democrats to pass legislation without any Republican support, so long as all members of their own party are on board. Some moderate Democrats, like West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, had expressed reservations about the minimum wage increase.

Typically, budget reconciliation measures must affect spending or revenue.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., applauded the Senate Parliamentarian’s decision, saying that it will reinforce the traditions of the Senate over the long-run.

“Very pleased the Senate Parliamentarian has ruled that a minimum wage increase is an inappropriate policy change in reconciliation,” Graham said in a statement. “This decision reinforces reconciliation cannot be used as a vehicle to pass major legislative change - by either party - on a simple majority vote.”

But progressives are already expressing their displeasure with the decision to remove the provision.

“I strongly disagree with tonight’s decision by the Senate Parliamentarian. The CBO made it absolutely clear that raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour had a substantial budgetary impact and should be allowed under reconciliation," said Sen. Bernie Sander, I-Vt. in a statement.

COMMENT:  We'll see what happens.  There are voices in Congress who want both houses to ignore the judgment of the Senate parliamentarian.  But President Biden is signaling that he respects the Senate rules and will try to find some other way to raise the minimum wage.

The arrogance of the Democrats is astounding.  They control the House by a handful of votes and have only a tie in the Senate, with control only occurring when Vice President Harris breaks that tie.  You'd think they'd want to be more cooperative, but self-delusion is hard to cure.

February 25, 2021