GOP to Filibuster Minimum Wage Hike
Republicans set to filibuster minimum wage today. AP: "Democrats ... plan to use the vote to buttress their campaign theme that the GOP is unwilling to protect financially struggling families ... Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, one of the few Republicans considered potentially willing to let debate begin, said Tuesday she expected to oppose the legislation, saying it would hurt companies. Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee was the only Republican to publicly state he probably would vote to allow the bill to be considered."
Dems plan more votes. Bloomberg: "U.S. Senate Democrats are pledging to hold more votes before November’s election on raising the federal minimum wage ... The Senate measure’s chief sponsor, Iowa Democrat Tom Harkin, told reporters yesterday that support for the wage increase may build in subsequent rounds of votes as the public becomes more aware of the issue."
No movement on bipartisan compromise. The Hill: "Sen. Susan Collins (R), who is up for reelection in liberal-leaning Maine, reached out to colleagues this month in an effort to find a compromise that would raise the minimum wage to a level below $10.10. The talks failed to yield a deal."
Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty urges GOP to accept minimum wage hike. Politico quotes: “For all the Republicans who come on and talk about, ‘we’re for the blue-collar worker, we’re for the working person,’ there are some basic things that we should be for. One of them is reasonable increases from time to time in the minimum wage."
Boehner still refuses to allow unemployment insurance vote. National Journal: "Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., one of the biggest advocates for unemployment insurance in Congress, called Speaker John Boehner Tuesday afternoon to push the House to take up legislation extending the insurance benefits. But that chat ended just about where it began: nowhere."
But corporate tax breaks move in the House. The Hill: "Democrats said the $310 billion price tag that comes with the permanent extension of the tax breaks was far too high, especially because the GOP has refused to extend long-term unemployment insurance without offsets."
Not Too Big To Jail?
"Federal prosecutors are nearing criminal charges against some of the world’s biggest banks" reports NYT: "The new strategy underpins the decision to seek guilty pleas in two of the most advanced investigations: one into Credit Suisse for offering tax shelters to Americans, and the other against France’s largest bank, BNP Paribas, over doing business with countries like Sudan that the United States has blacklisted. The approach applies to American banks, though those investigations are at an earlier stage."
Committee vote delayed on bipartisan housing finance bill. NYT: "Tim Johnson of South Dakota, a Democrat and the chairman, and Mike Crapo of Idaho, the ranking Republican, were careful to note that the bill had the minimum 12 votes needed to win the committee’s support that very day. But clearly, they hoped for a few more ... A few more Democratic ayes would send a strong message to Harry Reid of Nevada, the Senate majority leader, who controls whether the bill goes to the floor for a full vote. On the other hand, too many Democrats — or the wrong ones — could further harm the bill’s already slender chances in the Republican-led House ... but the holdouts all want different things..."
Boehner Shifts Tone Again On Immigration
Boehner tells House GOP he was just joking. Bloomberg: "Boehner said he went too far in teasing Republicans at the April 24 event in Ohio, saying his comments were 'misunderstood.' ... 'I wanted to make sure that members understood that the biggest impediment we have to immigration reform is that the American people don’t trust the president to enforce or implement the law that we may or may not pass,' he said."
Dems keep pressure on Boehner. The Hill: "'Speaker Boehner … is taking the path of least resistance. He's not putting the bill on the floor,' Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (Md.) said during a press briefing in the Capitol. 'The bill would pass if he put it on the floor,' he added."
Courts Back EPA, Voting Rights
"EPA’s Powers Upheld by Court With Climate Rules on Deck" reports Bloomberg: "The justices, voting 6-2 to overturn a lower court, backed the EPA’s so-called Good Neighbor rule, which targets air pollution that crosses state lines. While the practical impact of the decision may be limited - - other rules have already forced most utilities to install pollution scrubbers -- the decision effectively gives the EPA wide deference in crafting regulations ... 'The EPA’s win could encourage the agency to push for a stronger [climate] rule rather than a weaker one on the basis that the Supreme Court has validated its interpretation' of the Clean Air Act, [said analyst] Kevin Book..."
"Judge strikes down Wisconsin voter ID law" reports The Hill: "U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman issued the decision on Wisconsin’s law, which has had its share of legal obstacles since the state's legislature passed it in 2011. A state judge also ruled it unconstitutional in 2012. Adelman called the law 'discriminatory' and wrote in her opinion that it 'has a disproportionate impact on Black and Latino voters because it is more likely to burden those voters with the costs of obtaining a photo ID that they would not otherwise obtain.'"
