Biden predicts $15 minimum-wage hike won’t be in final COVID-19 relief bill
In a clip of Biden’s pre-recorded interview with "CBS Evening News" Anchor Norah O’Donnell, President Joe Biden Friday night said that his plan for a $15 minimum-wage hike in his COVID-19 relief bill likely won’t happen.
“Well, apparently, that's not going to occur because of the rules of the United States Senate,” Biden said on the minimum-wage effort.
“So you're saying the minimum wage won't be in this?” O'Donnell clarified.
“My guess is it will not be in it. But I do think that we should have a minimum wage stand by itself $15 an hour, and work your way up to the 15-- it doesn't have to be “boom.” And all the economics show, if you do that the whole economy rises. I'm prepared, as president of the United States, on a separate negotiation on minimum wage, to work my way up from what it is now, which is-- look, no one should work 40 hours a week and live below the poverty wage. And if you're making less than $15 an hour, you're living below the poverty wage,” Biden said, suggesting an incremental shift to $15/hour.
Biden also spoke about overall negotiations, saying he was “wide open” on how to target direct payments to those who need it most but seemed to commit to an upper boundary of $75,000 per person, $150,000 a couple.
“But here's the deal: Middle-class folks need help. But you don't need to get any help to someone making 300,000 bucks or 250. So it's somewhere between an individual making up to 75 and phasing out, and a couple making up to 150 and phasing out. But, again, I'm wide open on what that is.”
-ABC New's Justin Gomez and Molly Nagle