Justice Democrats call moderates’ votes against minimum wage hike ‘unconscionable’

The progressive organization Justice Democrats slammed the eight senators who bucked party lines to vote with Republicans against increasing the minimum wage to $15, calling it “unconscionable.”

The Senate voted 58-42 on Friday against an attempt to waive a procedural objection to including the measure from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). Sanders’s amendment would have added the minimum wage hike to the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill.

Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Angus King (I-Maine.) joined all Senate Republicans in upholding the objection. 

“It is unconscionable that Senators Tester, Manchin, Shaheen, Hassan, King, Sinema, Carper, and Coons would tell millions of essential workers earning poverty wages that they are ‘heroes’ but they don’t deserve a $15 minimum wage,” Justice Democrats spokesperson Waleed Shahid said in a statement. “President Biden and Vice President Harris must now present their plan for delivering on their campaign promise of a $15 minimum wage before the midterm election cycle gets underway.”

“This pandemic has caused the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression and Congress has a moral obligation to pass this popular, common-sense policy to boost wages for 32 million workers across the country,” Shahid said.

Some progressive lawmakers also bashed the moderate senators for their votes. Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) tweeted, “It is despicable and unacceptable that there is not unanimous support among Democrats in Congress for a $15 minimum wage.”

It is despicable and unacceptable that there is not unanimous support among Democrats in Congress for a $15 minimum wage.

— Jamaal Bowman (@JamaalBowmanNY) March 5, 2021

Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.) also called the vote “shameful” on Twitter, saying, “The American people deserve a $15 minimum wage, and they deserve Senators who actually fight for them.

Shameful. The American people deserve a $15 minimum wage, and they deserve Senators who actually fight for them. https://t.co/HHblCF3cjh

— Mondaire Jones (@MondaireJones) March 5, 2021