Democrats Dealt Blow on Minimum-Wage Drive for Covid-19 Bill

The Senate parliamentarian told lawmakers Thursday night that a proposed increase in the minimum wage to $15 an hour didn’t comply with Senate rules, dealing a blow to Democrats’ efforts to include it in the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package.

The parliamentarian, the neutral arbiter of the chamber’s rules, issued guidance saying she thought it didn’t meet the guidelines for reconciliation, the process that Democrats are using to pass their relief plan with a simple majority in the Senate, and would be ruled out of order.

After two tense days...