President Joe Biden's proposed $15 per hour minimum wage was not included in a budget resolution passed by the Senate early Friday.
Democrats, however, moved a step closer to approving Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan by a simple majority without Republican votes, per CNBC.
An amendment to avoid changing the federal minimum wage suggested by Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, was backed by senators. The minimum wage has been $7.25 per hour since 2009.
Ernst said increasing the minimum wage would be harmful to small businesses suffering during the coronavirus pandemic.
"A $15 federal minimum wage would be devastating for our hardest-hit small businesses at a time when they can least afford it," Ernst said on the chamber's floor.
"We should not have a one-size-fits-all policy set by Washington politicians. We all support higher wages, but a $15 federal minimum wage would be counterproductive."
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., supported Ernst's amendment, which is nonbinding.
Sanders explained his plan was to gradually raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025.
"I will support this amendment because nobody is talking about doubling the federal minimum wage during the pandemic," said Sanders, whose plan is included in the Raise the Wage Act. "We're talking about gradually phasing it in over a five-year period."
Sanders added he would do everything he could to ensure a $15 per hour federal minimum wage ultimately gets included in the budget reconciliation bill.
Reconciliation is a quicker process that will not require any Republican support if there’s unanimous support of all 50 Democratic senators. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., currently opposes the bill.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said during a Thursday press conference that a $15 per hour minimum wage remained a high priority for Democrats.
"It doesn't mean it won't happen just because it won't happen there," she said. "There's so much in the package that has to be done right now, and we'll do the best we can."
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