elizabeth mcdonough is a fully respected senate parliamentarian. she was hired -- appointed to that position by harry reid. the senate majority leader can fire her at any time. mitch mcconnell kept her in that position. chuck schumer is keeping her in that position. she has the full respect of the senate. and we now know it really is all up to elizabeth mcdonough because of breaking news delivered on msnbc tonight by joy reid in her important interview with white house chief of staff ron klain. >> well, as you know, we're all waiting on baited breath for a ruling from the senate parliamentarian at least when i walked over which had not yet come down. her ruling is going to have a big impact on the future of that provision. the president believes we should have a $15 minimum wage. if it is ruled in order then obviously that would allow it to move in this package. if it's ruled out of order we're going to have to find other ways to get it done. >> but if in theory the parliamentarian were to rule against the plan, can't the vice president override th

and elizabeth mcdonough might announce her decision by this time tomorrow night.n for major issues like this to be decided before a big bill comes to the senate floor. if the minimum wage is included in the bill, senate majority leader chuck schumer will have to work very hard to hold on to the votes of two senate democrats, joe manchin and kyrsten sinema, who don't want to raise the minimum wage as high as $15 an hour. here is the essence of the message chuck schumer is delivering to senate democrats who might not be fully supportive of every single thing in the bill. >> i have made a pitch today to our entire caucus, and i said that we need to pass this bill. the american people, the american public demands it. and everyone is going to have things that they want to see in the bill and we'll work hard to see if we can get those things in the bill. but job number one is to pass the bill. pass the bill we must and i have confidence we will do it. >> joining us now is democratic congresswoman pramila jayapal who represents the 7th district of washington state. she i

it is the senate parliamentarian, elizabeth mcdonough, because she is going to have to make a rulingetime within the next 10 days, and she is hearing arguments from senators about whether or not they are going to be able to move through this process if they allow for their to be an increase allow for -- if they allow for there to be an increase in minimum wage. not to be too wonky with you, but if they are held to a $15 minimum wage, they can't add to the budget over the 10 year period. senator joe manchin said he is not going to rule against the senate are limitary and. you have 8 -- senate parliamentarian. you have a situation where vice president kamala harris might have to cast another tiebreaker vote to override the senate parliamentarian. senator kyrsten sinema, a democrat from arizona, as well as jon tester, another centrist democrat, they are saying that they are very uneasy about the minimum wage going up to $15 an hour. it is why last week, i was reporting that president biden is facing that pressure to back off on the $15 minimum wage. jonathan: let me bring up the words o

elizabeth mcdonough will make that decision. no news on the front. the decision is expected today, even if she does allow it to be included, democrats have some trouble in the senate with a 50/50 senate. senator joe manchin of west virginia has said he's opposed to the idea of $15 an hour, andd he would i like instead settingt at $11 an hour and indexing it to inflation. erica warner who covers capitol hill has this tweet "liberals like jayapal want senate n said democrats to try to overrule the parliamentarian if she finds alo against minimum wage but ron klain said on msnbc last night h that they wouldn'te have the votes."appens madgeon has said he wouldn't support this." we'll see if they agrow with senator joe manchin to get 50 ya votes andy put it at $11 an ho. rashard in stafford, texas, you say yes. good morning to you. >> caller: good morning. thank you for taking my call. i say yes, it doesn't necessarily bother me too much. i'm actually a part-time -- janitor, but i will say what concerns me, however, i see both sides of the argument. suppo

henrietta: the most important person will be elizabeth mcdonough, the one who tells the democrats howey can get away with. in practical purposes, senator manchin is someone who is going to be able to say maybe you can twist the arm of the parliamentarian but i'm not going to vote for it. that would apply to things like getting the direct payment to individuals, out to people who he thinks are in an upper income threshold, or moving the minimum wage to $15 an hour. last night there was a vote that was rejected, or supported, from the republican side saying we are not going to increase the minimum wage and hurt small businesses during a pandemic. there was democratic support to that, which points to a picture of even if budget committee chairman bernie sanders and his chief of staff, who is extraordinarily experienced in the reconciliation process, if joe mentioned will not vote for it, or warner, or kelly, there is nothing that the byrd rule or tweaking the byrd rule can overcome what they will not do. the restrictions on policy are still very much in place by the moderates and democra

the finding by elizabeth mcdonough the chamber's nonpartisan arbiter of the rules comes as democrats prepare for house approval tomorrow of an initial version of that package that still includes the minimum wage books that somehow. >>road crews are preparing to fill in a large canyon across the roadway of highway one after a massive slide sent a section of that highway into the ocean. officials say that the project will cost more than 11 million dollars and that the road will be repaired and reopened early this summer the iconic roadway collapsed during the atmospheric river storm that moved through the bay area santa cruz mountains and big sur last month. crews plan to replace the main drainage system with a new one that will increase its capacity and help it to hopefully withstand some future storms. >>take a look at this strong winds we had them in the bay last night they were down in southern california too big rates toppled at least 5 trucks were blown over this morning on interstates east of l a dozens of drivers not taking any chances pulling off to the side of the road for ge

to raise the federal minimum wage, saying it must be dropped from the covid-19 relief bill elizabeth mcdonough, the chambers, nonpartisan arbiter of its rules, issued the finding a short time ago. it comes as democrats prepare for house approval of an initial version of the $1.9 trillion package that still includes the minimum wage boost of $15 an hour. it also forces democrats to make politically painful choices about what to do next on the minimum wage, which is long caused internal party rips. the relief bill also includes $1400 stimulus checks for americans making $75,000 a year or less and billions for vaccines, supplies and schools. it's a long overdue in american workers should not be struggling to make ends meet. lawmakers are trying to make sure the bill is approved before the march 14th deadline when expanded unemployment benefits expire. weekly unemployment numbers show that us jobless numbers dropped maura than economists expected last week. the labor department report 730,000 people filed for unemployment that is a big drop from the week before and less than the 845,000 that wall

elizabeth mcdonough, the chambers, nonpartisan arbiter of rules issued the finding late today. it comes as democrats prepare for house approval of an initial version of the one point $9 trillion package that still includes the gradual boost of the minimum wage to $15 an hour. the bill also includes $1400 checks for americans making $75,000 a year or less and billions for vaccines, supplies and schools, a long overdue in american workers should not be struggling to make ends meet. lawmakers are trying to make sure the bill is approved before march 14th when expanded unemployment benefits expire on wall street today, worries over the potential for rising interest rates sparked a big sell off, especially for high flying tech stocks. the dow dropped 559 points, nasdaq plunged 478 and the s and p fell 96. coming up sexual harassment allegations against new york governor andrew cuomo made by a former aide and now five new york state senators are asking the state attorney general to investigate plus just hours after a former u. s olympic gymnastics coach was charged with multiple felo

in the senate, you work the parliamentarian, spectacularly elizabeth mcdonough. her to see if the wage increase can be in the next bill. it falls unreconciliation. >> reconciliation in most coffee shops in america, nobody would know what that is about. it's really about making sure that all the component parts are in compliance with the rules. >> democrats can avoid a filibuster by using reconciliation rules for the covid bill but provisions can't deal with policy and cannot add to the deficit. mcdonough must decide whether $15 an hour violates the bird rule. it's named after senate majority leader robert byrd. if it does, the wage crease comes byrd droppings. that means the wage hike would not be in the bill. neil? >> neil: all right. they're going off on a wing and a prayer. >> try to see if they don't run a foul of the byrd rule. >> neil: i was waiting for two minutes to do that. good job. you beat me. chad pergram in the capitol. if we have an update, we'll let you know. and very good to have, ro khanna. any bird analogies are welcome. first off, you have you

wanting to raise the federal minimum wage, saying it must be dropped from the covid-19 bill elizabeth mcdonoughians said the wage hike cannot be part of a reconciliation bill. it comes as democrats prepare for house approval of an initial version of the $1.9 trillion package. the bill also includes $1400 stimulus checks. white house press secretary jen psaki responded to the ruling, saying president biden is deeply or is disappointed rather in this outcome as he proposed having the $15 minimum wage is part of the american rescue plan. he will work with leaders in congress to determine the best path forward because no one in this country should work full time and live in poverty. on wall street worries over the potential for rising interest rates spark to sell off today special sleep for high flying tech stocks. the dow dropped 559 points, nasdaq plunged 478 and the s and p fell 96, mass vaccination side of mosconi center in san francisco. reopen today. ah supplies, supply shortage and shipping delays forced it to shut down for two weeks. people who live and work in the city can get a shot by ap

the finding by elizabeth mcdonough the chamber's nonpartisan arbiter of rules comes as democrats prepare for house approval tomorrow of an initial version of the package that still includes the minimum wage boost. >>today, the house of representatives passed a landmark civil rights bill to protect and transgender americans the bill called the equality act would ban discrimination based on orientation and gender identity. many republican lawmakers remain opposed, however they say that the plan will hurt female athletes and discriminates against people of faith. >>our government through this bill's going to redefine what a woman is and what a man is it can be anyone identifies and that gender any time. their attacks on trans people in the transgender community are just mean mean. >>and show a complete lack of understanding the complete lack of empathy. they don't represent our views and they don't represent the views of a majority of americans. >>last year the supreme court ruled 6 to 3 against lgbt discrimination in the workplace. more on that the drama over today's vote spilled into the

some argue democrats should ignore her senate parliamentarian elizabeth mcdonough. >> 32 million americans being denied a raise because of a decision of the nonelected involuntary. she has incredible integrity, she is not to blame. >> dropping the wage increase could freeze the skids to pass it in the senate. democrat kyrsten sinema and joe manchin opposed inputting a wage requirement in this bill. democrats need their votes. but the exclusion of the minimal wage increase reveals the political reality is of the agenda. this could rip at the scenes of the democratic coalition as the party struggles to pass liberal priorities like immigration reform and climate change policy in a split congress. >> i think that if you are looking for a real civil war, look at the democrats in the house. >> republicans are in your lockstep opposing the bill. >> we already know what is the best stimulus plan out there. it is to fully reopen our economy. to do that we need our economy back to work, back to school and back to health. >> the bill includes $1400 stimulus checks, money for schools and local governm

elizabeth mcdonough, nonpartisan arbiter issued guidance saying she didn't think the effort compliedh guidelines of reconciliation, the fast track process that democrats are use to go pass the bill. despite the parliamentarian's decision, house speaker nancy pelosi said lawmakers in the house would not remove the provision before the vote, which is set for later today. jake sherman, what does this all mean? >> it means there won't be a $15 wage will not happen soon. nancy pelosi is smart. they want to see this policy and they don't care that the senate is not going to want to pass it. they want to vote on it. it's very popular in the democratic caucus. it has almost unanimous support. we pointed this out in punch bowl news this morning. i think it seeps its way into literally every legislative debate from here on out. this is a widely and broadly popular provision. the minimum wage hasn't been raised in some time. it will lend credence to blow up the filibuster, something that caught out on the left. doesn't have the votes at the moment. joe manchin and kyrsten sinema. let's be clear

guest: elizabeth mcdonough serves as the senate referee and she holds enormous power. she is not widely known to the general public but in this case, she made a major decision last night in -- informing the democrats and republican staff that she ruled that the $15 minimum wage is not really relevant to the democrats'$1.9 trillion relief package and therefore cannot be included in this package through the budget reconciliation process. that's this arcane process that allows democrats to pass something with just a simple majority rather than a much higher 60 vote threshold which would require democrats to bring on republican votes. in this case it would be through reconciliation. they can pass it with a simple majority and with just democrats in the senate. it's significant because this had been one of the top priorities for democrats as they sought to take back the house and senate in recent elections, certainly the white house and it was a promise to the progressive base which is why you are seeing nancy pelosi today saying house democrats will keep the $15 wage hike

reporter: it is up to senate parliamentarian elizabeth mcdonough to make the call. most republicans are opposed. >> whether it is $15 or $10, if the government sets the wage above the market wage it causes unemployment. the government shouldn't be in this. the people that get hurt the worst those most disadvantaged. reporter: that said the new wage standard will likely be in the bill when the house votes on it friday because the house doesn't have to comply with special budget rules. that gives house democrats to say they voted to approve the wage increase but it dropped in the senate. that means it could just be for show. neil? neil: chad, i know it's a mug's game but i always love picking your brain a little bit where this all goes, you say it's the math, it's the math, if you had to be a betting man now, one thing to clear budget committee, one thing to clear in the house, total house, quite another matter to get through in the senate, do you think this all goes through? that the president gets his stimulus plan, might not be exactly 1.9 trillion but he gets it?

guest: elizabeth mcdonough serves as the senate referee and she holds enormous power.he is not widely known to the general public but in this case, she made a major decision last night in -- informing the democrats and republican staff that she ruled that the $15 minimum wage is not really relevant to the democrats'$1.9 trillion relief package and therefore cannot be included in this package through the budget reconciliation process. that's this arcane process that allows democrats to pass something with just a simple majority rather than a much higher 60 vote threshold which would require democrats to bring on republican votes. in this case it would be through reconciliation. they can pass it with a simple majority and with just democrats in the senate. it's significant because this had been one of the top priorities for democrats as they sought to take back the house and senate in recent elections, certainly the white house and it was a promise to the progressive base which is why you are seeing nancy pelosi today saying house democrats will keep the $15 wage hike in

she is elizabeth mcdonough. been in the office since 2012.ity leader harry reid. cynics say she will do bidding of democrats. she is stickler for detail, whether you can or can't do something like this in a reconciliation measure. it gets into the weeds. but this one woman could decide the course of stimulus and nearly two trillion dollar package. stay with us. ♪. ♪ ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ my retirement plan with voya keeps me moving forward... even after paying for this. love you, sweetheart. they guide me with achievable steps that give me confidence. this is my granddaughter...she's cute like her grandpa. voya doesn't just help me get to retirement... ...they're with me all the way through it. come on, grandpa! later. got grandpa things to do. aw, grandpas are the best! well planned. well invested. well protected. voya. be confident to and through retirement. the holidays weren't exactly smooth sledding this year, eh santa? no, but we came through smelling of mistletoe. the now platform lets us identify problems before they became

elizabeth mcdonough decided the wage hike didn't qualify for this bill under special budget rules. president biden wants the wage hike, but he was always honest about its chances. >> but that may not be in your american rescue plan. >> no. i put it in, but i don't think it's going to survive. >> reporter: disqualifying that provision could actually help democrats in the senate. at least two democrats, krysten sinema and joe manchin, don't think the wage increase belongs in this bill, and neither does the senate minority leader, mitch mcconnell. >> well, the minimum wage doesn't belong in there, the congressional budget office says it would cost 1.4 million jobs we'd lose. second, $350 billion for bailouts to poorly-run states, clearly not necessary. >> reporter: republicans will vote no even though some concede the measure could help their constituents, but the ruling last night shows how tough it will be for liberals to advance their other priorities like gun control and immigration reform in a split congress. neil? neil: all right. chad, thank you very much for that. chad pergram

the non-partisan senate parliamentarian elizabeth mcd mcdonough said the provision doesn't -- that is the relief plan they are voting on today, it includes more stimulus checks for $1,400 and unemployment benefits will go up by $400 a week. there is also funding for reopening schools, rental and food assistance, vaccine distribution and aid for state and local governments. now, this is unlikely to garner much republican support. but if it does clear both chambers, democrats hope to get it to the president's desk by mid-march. anthony? >> nikole killion at the capitol, thanks. >>> the president travels to texas this morning to see how millions are recovering from a deadly cold snap. texans shivered for days after snow and cold knocked out power and water and damaged homes across the state. dozens of people died. janet shamlian spoke to one family that's planning a funeral for a loved one killed by the cold while also rebuilding their own lives. janet, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, beyond the burst pipes and the water logged homes, a devastating human toll, the deaths from hy

elizabeth warren at a campaign rally saying fire or denis mcdonough saying she was going to fight for veterans rights of the new va chief is not the same as what donald trump is doing. i also thought it was counterproductive because basically you were insulting half the jury. i don't think -- i felt the same incidentally about the clips of jamie raskin. and they were allowed to do this and said they were contesting the vote in a certain state but there is no comparison between that and this campaign that donald trump ran for six months talking about the fact that the election, and this is the third string of lawyers that donald trump wanted to. and they wanted to know part of the trial. then they had another team and they quit because of some of the things that the president wanted them to rehearse, and i don't think it's been a particularly effective defense and i certainly don't think going after the jurors and insulting them and saying, you are hypocrites is up the way to win a lot of friends in that room. because i think even some of the republicans that oppose that. >> right now

elizabeth mcdon know and her only. only nancy pelosi is in the dark. >> could be any moment. i don't have a phone. if you hear before i do, let me know. >> mcdonoughrule out the wage hike. that would infuriate liberals. it's always about the math. the democrats can only lose five votes and still pass the bill. neil? >> neil: thanks, chad. will it go along party lines like president trump's tax cuts went all republicans for it, all democrats against him. we have more from the cbo under president trump. if it goes that way again, it will follow a pattern in washington on major pieces of legislation where it's one party on the other but not both. does that concern you? >> it does. makes everything that we try to do in this town to improve the lives of the american people harder. it will make the biden's administration life harder. they want to move towards another spending bill. so this is the first of many and we can't afford it right now, this is a crucial moment to see if this is party line or not. >> neil: a lot of spending under the trump administration. you were there for that. i'm not blaming. but it's like a bipartisan binge pattern. eventual

. >> guest: well, she ruled that she serves, elizabeth mcdonough serves as sort of the senate referee. she holds enormous power. shede is not widely known to the general public. but in this case, she made a major decision lastr night informing the democratic and republican staff that she had ruled the $15 minimum wage is not really relevant to the democrats 1.9 trillion covid relief package. therefore cannot be included in this package through the budget reconciliation process. that is this arcane process that allows the democrats to pass something with just a simple majority rather than the much higher 60 vote threshold which required democrats to bring on republican votes. in this case the reconciliation. pass it with a simple majority and with just democrats in the senate. it is significant because this had been one of the top priorities for democrats as they sought to take back the house and senate and recent elections. certainly the white house this nlwawas a promise says wire seeg nancy pelosi thing house democrats will keep the 15-dollar wage hike in the house bill when they br