BUT AMERICANS CONSTITUTION
STRUCTURES POWER TO SUCCESSFULLY
YIELD POWER FROM THE POWER OF
THE MINORITY.
BERNIE SANDERS PLAYS A HUGE ROLE
IN PASSING THIS ABOUTAGE, AND HE
JOINS ME NOW.
YOU KNOW, IT OCCURRED TO ME,
SENATOR, IN YOUR LONG TIME IN
POLITICS, YOU HAVE CHAMPIONED
CAUSES BOTH POPULAR AND
UNPOPULAR.
YOU HAVE BEEN SOMEONE WHO, YOU
KNOW, SPOKE OUT FOR BILLS THAT
DIDN’T GET A TON OF VOTES, THAT
WEREN’T POLLING THAT WELL
AMONGST THE AMERICAN PUBLIC.
IT DOES SEEM TO ME THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND THE BROAD
COALITION ASSEMBLED TRULY DOES
HAVE THE WIND ON THEIR BACKS ON
THIS BIG PIECE OF LEGISLATION.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I MEAN, FOR ONCE I THINK WE ARE
LISTENING TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
IN THIS EXTRAORDINARY TIME OF
NEED.
2020 WAS PROBABLY THE WORST YEAR
IN AMERICAN HISTORY SINCE THE
CIVIL WAR.
PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING.
THEY CAN’T FEED THEIR CHILDREN.
THEY HAVE NO INCOME.
WORRIED ABOUT BEING EVICTED.
THEIR KIDS CAN’T GO TO SCHOOL.
MENTAL ILLNESS IS AT A RECORD
BREAKING LEVEL BECAUSE OF ALL OF
THE ANXIETY AND ISOLATION THAT
PEOPLE ARE FEELING.
AND WE HAVE PRESENTED A
COMPREHENSIVE BILL, WHICH IS NOT
PERFECT, BUT GOES A LONG WAY TO
SAY TO WORKING FAMILIES ALL OVER
THIS COUNTRY, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE
HEAR YOUR PAIN, AND WE ARE
RESPONDING.
WE’RE GOING TO GET YOU THAT
$1,400 CHECK FOR EVERY WORKING
CLASS ADULT THAT’S A FAMILY OF
FOUR $5,600 ON TOP OF THE $600
CHECKS THEY RECEIVED LAST MONTH.
THAT IS LIFE AND DEATH FOR
MILLIONS OF FAMILIES.
WE’RE GOING TO EXTEND
UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS UNTIL
SEPTEMBER WITH A $400 BONUS ON
TOP OF YOUR NORMAL UNEMPLOYMENT.
WE ARE GOING TO LOWER -- THIS IS
AN ISSUE.
WE DON’T TALK ABOUT ENOUGH,
CHRIS.
CHILDHOOD POVERTY IN AMERICA IS
WAY, WAY UP THERE COMPARED TO
OTHER MAJOR COUNTRIES.
THIS LEGISLATION LOWERS
CHILDHOOD POVERTY BY 50%.
WE ARE GOING TO RAISE THE
MINIMUM WAGE TO $15 AN HOUR.
THAT IS WHY THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
SUPPORT WHAT WE ARE DOING.
WE’RE LISTENING TO THEIR PAIN
AND RESPONDING.
>> PART OF THE REASON YOU ARE A
FULCRUM FOR THIS, THE BUDGET
COMMITTEE AND PROCESS IS HOW
THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN.
THERE IS A TECHNICAL QUESTION.
I JUST WANT TO SET THIS UP
BEFORE I ASK YOU ABOUT IT.
THERE IS A TECHNICAL QUESTION
THAT IF YOU WANT TO GO THROUGH
THE RECONCILIATION PROCESS,
SIMPLE MAJORITY RULE, EVERYTHING
HAS TO BE GERMANE TO THE BUDGET.
AND THERE IS AN ARGUMENT ABOUT
WHETHER RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE
IS SUFFICIENTLY GERMANE TO GO IN
OR OUT.
WE DON’T KNOW THE RULING BUT I
WANT TO PLAY YOU SOME SOUND FROM
RON KLAIN ABOUT WHAT THE WHITE
HOUSE’S APPROACH WILL BE IF THE
SENATOR PARLIAMENTARIAN CUTS OUT
THE MINIMUM WAGE PART.
>> WE’RE ALL WAITING ON BAITED
BREATH FOR A RULING WHEN AT
LEAST WHEN I WALKED OVER HERE
HAD NOT COME DOWN.
HER RULING WILL HAVE A BIG
IMPACT ON THE FUTURE OF THAT
PROVISION.
THE PRESIDENT BELIEVES WE SHOULD
HAVE A $15 MINIMUM WAGE.
IF IT IS RULED IN ORDER,
OBVIOUSLY THAT WOULD ALLOW IT TO
MOVE IN THIS PACKAGE.
IF IT IS RULED OUT OF ORDER, WE
WILL HAVE TO FIND OTHER WAYS TO
GET IT DONE.
>> WHAT DO YOU THINK, SENATOR?
>> WELL, I THINK WHAT RON SAID
IS BASICALLY ACCURATE.
AND WHAT I WANT EVERYBODY TO
UNDERSTAND IS WHAT THE
PARLIAMENTTARIAN IS RULING HAS
NOTHING TO DO WITH THE MERITS OF
A $15 MINIMUM WAGE WHICH IS
ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY IF WE’RE
GOING TO END STARVATION WAGES IN
AMERICA.
THIS IS A COMPLICATED PROCESS
FOR WHAT THE SO-CALLED BIRD RULE
AND RECONCILIATION.
IS THIS A BUDGET ISSUE OR IS IT
INCIDENTAL?
WE MADE ARGUMENTS THIS MORNING
WHICH I THINK WERE VERY
COMPELLING THAT THIS IS
CONSISTENT WITH THE RULE AND THE
RECONCILIATION PROCESS.
SO WE THINK WE GOT A GOOD SHOT
TO WIN.
THE PARLIAMENTTARIAN’S RULING
CAN’T GUARANTEE IT.
>> HOW MUCH -- BECAUSE WE HAVE
ALREADY GOT McCONNELL AND
McCARTHY WHIPPING AGAINST US --
IF THE SHOE WAS ON THE OTHER
FOOT, DEMOCRATS WOULD BE
SHOOKING IN THEIR BOOTS.
THE DEMOCRATS WERE ON THE WRONG
SIDE OF THE ISSUE, THERE WOULD
BE FREAKOUTS.
HOW MUCH COHESION IS THERE IN
THE CAUCUS OF DEMOCRATS WHO WILL
HAVE TO STICK TOGETHER IF YOU
DON’T GET ANY REPUBLICAN VOTES?
>> LOOK, CHRIS, I’M NOT GOING TO
TELL YOU THAT WHEN YOU HAVE 50
PEOPLE THERE AREN’T 50 DIFFERENT
NUANCES OF OPINION, INCLUDING
MYSELF.
THINGS IN THIS BILL I DON’T
LIKE.
>> YOU AND JOE MANCHIN DON’T
AGREE ON EVERYTHING EXACTLY?
>> YEAH.
I THINK YOU COULD SAFELY SAY
THAT.
BUT I THINK AT THE END OF THE
DAY EVERY MEMBER OF THE
DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS UNDERSTANDS
THE UNPRECEDENTED HEALTH CARE
AND ECONOMIC AND EDUCATIONAL
CRISIS THAT WE’RE FACING TODAY,
UNDERSTANDS THAT WE HAVE TO WORK
WITH THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES TO MAKE SURE THAT HE IS
SUCCESSFUL.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY I AM
CONFIDENT THAT EVERY MEMBER OF
THE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS IS GOING
TO SUPPORT THIS BILL AND THE
VICE PRESIDENT WILL GIVE US THE
DECIDING VOTE.
>> YOU KNOW, ON THE MINIMUM
WAGE, WHICH IS PART OF THIS AND
WE WILL FIND OUT ABOUT THE
PARLIAMENT TEAR.
THE MINIMUM WAGE RAISING TO $15
IS VERY POPULAR LIKE THE COVID
RELIEF PACKAGE MORE BROADLY.
IT COST 60% IN THE STATE OF
FLORIDA THAT DONALD TRUMP WON,
BEAT JOE BIDEN IN.
WE HAVE SEEN THIS HAPPEN TIME
AND TIME AGAIN.
IT ALMOST SEEMS LIKE REPUBLICANS
ARE CUTTING ADS FOR DEMOCRATS
WHEN THEY COME OUT AGAINST IT.
I DO WONDER IF IT WASN’T IN THIS
PACKAGE, LIKE, DO YOU THINK YOU
COULD WIN A FLOOR VOTE ON IT?
IF YOU JUST SAID UP OR DOWN --
>> OH, NO.
>> YOU COULDN’T, OKAY.
>> NO.
NO.
YOU COULD NOT -- AS OF NOW,
THERE IS ONE REPUBLICAN WHO WILL
SUPPORT A $15 MINIMUM WAGE.
AND WHAT’S SAD -- YEAH.
I’M SORRY.
I DIDN’T MEAN TO INTERRUPT.
>> WHAT YOU’RE SAYING, JUST TO
BE CLEAR HERE, IF YOU WERE IN A
FILIBUSTER WORLD AND YOU NEEDED
TEN VOTES, THERE IS NOT TEN
REPUBLICAN VOTES TO RAISE THE
WAGES.
>> LET ME BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT
THIS.
THE ONLY WAY THAT WE ARE GOING
TO RAISE THE MINIMUM WAGE IS
THROUGH RECONCILIATION OR ENDING
THE FILIBUSTER.
IN MY VIEW, I DO NOT SEE IN THE