GOODNESS WE HAVE BILL ON OUR
SIDE.
>> HE’S ALSO A POLICY EXPERT.
HOW DIFFICULT WAS IT TO HOLD ON
TO THIS INCREASE TO $15 IN THE
MINIMUM WAGE IN THE HOUSE?
>> WELL, IT WAS CHALLENGING FOR
A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT REASONS.
THERE WAS SOME PROCEDURAL
CONFUSION ABOUT WHAT WE COULD
INCLUDE IN THE HOUSE PACKAGE
WITHOUT HAVING A HOUSE SENATE
RULE YET.
SO I WAS ABLE TO CALL ON BILL
DOUSER ACTUALLY THANKS TO
SENATOR SANDERS AND SET UP A
MEETING BETWEEN THE SENATE FOLKS
AND OUR LEADERSHIP FOLKS TO MAKE
SURE WE WERE CLEAR THAT THERE
WAS NO THREATENING THE BILL
OVERALL IF WE INCLUDED THE $15
MINIMUM WAGE.
AND THEN OF COURSE JUST TO
CONTINUE TO REMIND PEOPLE OF
THIS UNPRECEDENTED CRISIS THAT
WE FACE AND THE FACT THAT THIS
IS A POP YOU LIST ( POLICY
PASSED IN DEMOCRATIC AND
REPUBLICAN STATES ACROSS THE
COUNTRY AND DESPERATELY NEEDED
IN THIS TIME OF COVID TO PICK 30
MILLION PEOPLE UP, TO LIFT THE
WAGES OF 30 MILLION PEOPLE AND
TO LIFT 1.3 MILLION PEOPLE OUT
OF POVERTY.
I MEAN, THIS IS A GAME CHANGER
WHEN WE’RE TALKING ABOUT THESE
BLACK, BROWN, INDIGENOUS POOR
PEOPLE AROUND THE COUNTRY THAT
HAVE BEEN CONTINUING TO WORK ON
THE FRONT LINES BUT CAN’T TAKE
CARE OF THEMSELVES AND THEIR
FAMILIES ON $15,000 A YEAR.
>> LET’S LISTEN TO WHAT CHUCK
SCHUMER ALSO SAID ABOUT TRYING
TO MAINTAIN UNITY IN THE SENATE
AMONG SENATE DEMOCRATS AND HOW
WELL THAT HAS WORKED SO FAR.
>> SO FAR, SO FAR WE HAVE HAD
GREAT UNITY ON IMPEACHMENT WE
HAD GREAT UNITY.
ON THE TWO BILLS THAT HAVE COME
BEFORE THE TWO VOTES THAT HAVE
COME BEFORE US ON
RECONCILIATION, WE HAVE HAD
GREAT UNITY.
WE NEED TO KEEP IT.
WE’RE FIGHTING TO GET IT AND SO
FAR SO GOOD.
>> YES, SENATOR CHUCK SCHUMER
USES A FLIP PHONE.
WHAT DID YOU EXPECT HIM TO USE?
SO THAT UNITY IN THE SENATE IS
SOMETHING THAT IS VERY, VERY
HARD TO HOLD ON TO.
AND, SO, WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED
IN THE HOUSE IN GETTING --
GETTING THE MINIMUM WAGE INTO
THE BILL IN THE HOUSE THAT IS
HELPFUL FOR CHUCK SCHUMER TO TRY
TO HOLD ON TO IT IN THE SENATE?
>> I JUST KEEP REMINDING
EVERYBODY THAT WE WON THE SENATE
MAJORITY, THE HOUSE MAJORITY AND
THE WHITE HOUSE BECAUSE BLACK,
BROWN, INDIGENOUS, POOR WORKING
PEOPLE ACROSS THIS COUNTRY WERE
CRYING OUT FOR HELP AND FOR A
CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP AND THEY
WERE WILLING TO GIVE DEMOCRATS
ONE MORE SHOT AT REALLY TRYING
TO GET THEM THE RELIEF THAT THEY
DESERVE AND THAT THEY NEED.
AND I’LL TELL YOU THAT MORAL
ARGUMENT RIGHT NOW ACTUALLY DID
DO A LOT TO KEEP PEOPLE TOGETHER
IN TERMS OF WHAT DEMOCRATS
PROMISED ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL
AND WHAT WE NOW HAVE TO DELIVER.
AND, LAWRENCE, YOU KNOW WE DON’T
HAVE A LOT OF TIME HERE.
THE MIDTERMS ARE IN TWO YEARS.
WE NEED TO SHOW PEOPLE THAT
THEIR LIVES ARE APPROACH YEAHBLY
BETTER, THAT WE CAN GET CONTROL
OF THE VIRUS AND WE CAN PUT
MONEY IN PEOPLE’S POCKETS.
THAT’S WHY THE TWO MOST
IMPORTANT PRIORITIES WERE MAKING
SURE WE HAD SURVIVAL CHECKS THAT
WENT TO THE SAME, YOU KNOW,
GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT GOT THEM
LAST TIME AND THAT WE KEPT THE
THRESHOLDS THE SAME AND ALSO
MINIMUM WAGE.
SO WE HAVE BEEN VERY CLEAR ABOUT
THAT AND I THINK THAT EVERY
DEMOCRAT WHO BALLINGS AT A $15
MINIMUM, NOT LESS THAN $15, A
$15 MINIMUM WAGE SHOULD REMEMBER
IT WAS 2002 WHEN FAST FOOD
WORKERS FIRST WENT OUT AND
STARTED CALLING FOR A $15
MINIMUM WAGE.
IT WAS 2015 WHEN WE PASSED IT IN
SEATTLE, THE FIRST MAJOR CITY TO
DO SO.