Democrats' $15 minimum wage rise under threat after Senate ruling – live

Overnight, faced with the decision by unelected and nonpartisan Senate parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough that the $15 minimum wage provison in the proposed Covid recovery bill be stripped out, Rep Ilhan Omar called for her to go. It isn’t without precedent, as Katie Shepherd notes for the Washington Post this morning:

Parliamentarians are essentially the umpires of the Senate, ensuring that lawmakers follow the rules that govern how legislation moves forward. In recent years, the most difficult calls have involved bills passed through budget reconciliation, which allows the Senate to end debate and call a vote with the support of a simple majority. MacDonough has struck prohibited measures from those bills several times, confounding both Republicans and Democrats.

Generally, the parliamentarian’s rulings are respected by whichever party is in power. But in 2001, Republicans took a drastic step after a series of rulings went against their plans. The Senate was evenly split at the time, with the GOP holding a razor-thin majority thanks to recently elected vice president Dick Cheney’s tiebreaking vote.

Two US Navy ships deployed to the Middle East are experiencing coronavirus outbreaks, according to this report from ABC News:

The amphibious transport ship USS San Diego has gone into port in Bahrain after 12 service members tested positive for the virus, the Navy’s Fifth Fleet said.

The cruiser USS Philippine Sea was at sea when it was discovered that several sailors aboard had also been exposed to the virus and were considered to be “persons under investigation.”

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Coronavirus | The Guardian

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