Minnesota Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar has called for Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough to be replaced after she ruled the $15/hour minimum wage could not be a part of the budget reconciliation process and included in President Biden's proposed $1.9 trillion stimulus package which was passed by the House of Representatives this morning.
Like most of Omar's arguments, this one is wholly without merit. Replacing the Senate Parliamentarian will not bring about a $15 an hour minimum wage.
First, Omar is assuming that MacDonough's replacement would have ruled differently. MacDonough's ruling isn't based on ideology but on the Senate's rules. The only way MacDonough or any other Senate Parliamentarian would have permitted the inclusion of the $15/hour minimum wage is if the Senate Rules Committee changes its rules.
MacDonough's ruling does not preclude her from being overruled by Vice-President Harris in her capacity as Senate President although White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain has indicated Harris will not overrule MacDonough. But this doesn't preclude Omar and other members of the House and Senate from bringing pressure to bear upon Harris to reconsider. If Omar were smart she would direct her attention to the ear of the Vice-President instead of calling for the head of the Senate Parliamentarian. Alas Congresswoman Omar isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer.
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