Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) said Friday on CNN’s “Inside Politics” that Democrats should take a cue from Republicans and fight hard to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour after the Senate parliamentarian decided it could not be included in President Joe Biden’s coronavirus package.
Anchor John King said, “President Biden says he is disappointed but respects the parliamentarian’s decision and Senate process. The White House says essentially, let’s move on. What now?”
Omar said, “That is disappointing to hear the White House say that. The rule of the parliamentarian is advisory, and there is an opportunity for us to overwrite when we do not have that advice allowing us to pass a policy that is supported by two-thirds of the American people that would essentially give a pay increase to 28 million people. It is unacceptable, I believe, for us to continue to come up with excuses on why we can’t do the right thing for the American people. When Republicans are charged, and they have the majority, they do everything they can, and they don’t let anything get in the way in providing profits for corporations. This is the time for Democrats to fight for working Americans for this opportunity that they are given.”
She continued, “I think it is really important for us to draw a hard line on what it means to fight on behalf of the American people. This majority wasn’t given to us to sit on the sidelines and do the right thing. People have been waiting for a very long time. They believe we will fulfill our promise. This is something we campaigned on for over a decade. People have organized around the country on raising the minimum wage. I think we should give the opportunity to vote and do the right thing.”
She added, “We have a responsibility to the people who elected us, and this is not a process that we’re going to allow an unelected official to make a decision. We’re going to push the people who are elected to make that decision and to stand up and say that they’re not willing to give, you know, people a hike in the minimum wage.”
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN
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