The federal minimum hourly wage of just $7.25 has not increased since 2009. Because of inflation, its effective buying power today has declined to only $5.93 in 2009 dollars. Raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour would lift pay for 32 million workers nationwide — 21 percent of the U.S. labor force. It would provide an additional $107 billion in wages for the country’s lowest-paid workers, with the average affected worker receiving an extra $3,300 a year. Raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour is the single most effective legislative step that can be taken to lift families out of poverty and combat growing inequality in wealth and economic power. President Biden and Vice President Harris have asked that it be included in the Covid Relief bill.
Republicans have always opposed minimum wage laws. Now that they no longer have a congressional majority, they intend to kill this legislation by using procedures such as the filibuster and the “Byrd Rule.” Assuming all Democrats stand together, they have a slim 51-50 majority in the Senate, but under the filibuster rule a bill needs 60 votes to pass — which would require 10 Republican votes. We want to end, or at least amend, the filibuster, but that may not be possible at this time. So long as the filibuster stands as it is, the only way to enact legislation by majority vote is by using the very limited “reconciliation” process. The Byrd Rule limits what kind of provisions can be included in a reconciliation bill.
McConnell intends to use the Byrd Rule to knock the minimum wage out of the relief bill. Democrats will argue that including minimum wage in the bill does not transgress the Byrd Rule. If the Senate Parliamentarian agrees, Republicans will need a 60-vote majority to knock it out using a point of order. But if the Parliamentarian advises that the minimum wage does not meet the Byrd test, the presiding officer (Harris or Leahy) has the authority to reject that advice. But rejecting the advice of the Parliamentarian has not been done since 1975. Doing so would break Senate comity and decorum, which Republicans care nothing about when they are in power but raise pious cries about whenever Democrats use the rules to aid ordinary working Americans rather than the super-rich.
Contact your Senators and tell them: Fight for a $15 minimum wage!
Win: A victory for tenants affected by COVID-19
Thank you for your calls to Governor Newsom! Last week, he took steps to protect tenants by signing SB-91. Last Monday, Gavin Newsom and democratic leaders struck an eleventh-hour deal, SB-91, which extends renter protections to June 30, 2021, and sets up a large-scale rental assistance program to address the massive rent debt in California. Since this is a budget bill, it passed with a majority vote in both houses. The bill was signed last Thursday.
This bill addresses immediate concerns but misses the mark on long-term issues. It gives too many concessions to landlords and lacks enforceability. It also fails to address the bigger picture of the rental affordability crisis that preceded the pandemic. But it is a start, and we plan to continue fighting.
We wrote a detailed blog post breaking down what’s in SB91. Read more here.
To join us in our work on tenant protections and other important state and local issues, come to our State and Local team meeting on Friday! RSVP here.
Thank you for voting in the ADEM Election!
Due to the huge turnout, the deadline for your mail ballot to be received in the ADEM election was extended. Today is the day by which your ballot must be received by the California Democratic Party. So, thank you for casting your vote!
The ADEM election is a crucial part of setting the direction of the party, and by electing progressive Assembly District delegates, we can build political power in our state. Results will be posted to the CADEM website on Tuesday, February 9, and we’ll be sure to amplify them once they’re out.
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ISF General Meeting: Sunday, February 7, 1–3 PM via Zoom. Register here to join our online meeting. The meeting is open to anyone interested in promoting progressive political goals and repairing the damage done to our institutions and communities in the last four years.
Friday, February 5, 7:30–8:30 PM: Indivisible SF State and Local Working Group meeting. Register here to learn how we can propose legislation to our state legislators and support progressive initiatives on the state and local level.
Thursday, February 11, 7–9 PM: Indivisible SF Federal Working Group meeting. Register here to discuss what’s next for our Members of Congress and the incoming administration, and learn how we can make our voices heard.
Thursday, February 4, 5–6 PM: Virtual Town Hall with San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin. Please join San Francisco DA Chesa Boudin for this town hall. If there are specific questions or topics you would like the DA to address, please email them to [email protected] by 10am on Wednesday, February 3. Register here.
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Keep Fighting,
The Indivisible SF Team
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