Republican Minority Expected To Filibuster Minimum Wage
Senate set for minimum wage vote tomorrow. The Hill: "The vote will be a major test of unity for Senate Democrats ... Some vulnerable Democrats up for reelection have expressed concern about the wage increase [to $10.10], citing a Congressional Budget Office report that Harkin’s bill would harm job growth. Some of them have come out in support of a smaller increase to $9 an hour [while] Republicans are unified against it..."
More from Politico: "Democratic aides expect as many as 54 members of the 55-member Senate Democratic caucus to support the procedural vote Wednesday, with Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) predicted to vote against..."
Hawaii goes for $10.10. MSNBC: "... legislators in Hawaii reached an agreement to raise the state’s minimum wage to $10.10 within the next four years, paving the way for ultimate passage and the governor’s signature ... Hawaii will become the third state this year to have raised its minimum wage to $10.10 ... [The] deal would require employers to pay a minimum of $10.10 per hour to any tipped worker making less than $17.10 with tips ... Hawaii’s multi-billion dollar tourism industry is heavily reliant on tipped labor..."
China wealth gap surpasses US. Bloomberg: "In 2010, the Gini coefficient for family income in China was about 0.55 compared with 0.45 in the U.S. In 1980, the gauge in China was 0.30. A coefficient of 0.5 or higher indicates a severe gap between rich and poor ... A reading of zero means all income is evenly distributed and 1 represents complete concentration ... China is minting more millionaires than any other emerging economy [while] factory strikes and violent attacks have highlighted growing social unrest at a time of widening inequality and increasing tensions between the state and ethnic minorities."
Immigration Momentum
"Immigration Overhaul Shows Signs of Life in GOP" reports Roll Call: "The signs of life for a revitalized push for an immigration overhaul are suddenly popping up everywhere ... Sen. Mike Lee , telling Fox News on Monday that 'most members' of the Republican Conference in the House are actually 'eager to pass some sort of immigration reform.' ... Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington, the fourth-ranked Republican in the House and the highest-ranked woman in the conference, told her local newspaper on April 24 that she thinks an immigration deal can be struck this year ..."
Dems remain skeptical, says TNR's Nora Caplan-Bricker: "...Democrats and immigration advocates I consulted on Monday said they remain skeptical the flurry will amount to anything. 'Until Republicans sign the discharge petition ... and push for a vote on HR 15, they’re not serious,' said Jeff Hauser of the AFL-CIO."
Breakfast Sides
Obama rushing to confirm judges before November. NYT: "At the White House, three lawyers in the counsel’s office are working full time vetting and processing nominees and potential nominees in an effort that has escalated significantly since the president’s first term. The departing counsel, Kathryn Ruemmler, has been working more directly with Democratic senators, urging them to send the White House names of acceptable nominees as quickly as possible. And as soon as the administration learns of a vacancy, the counsel’s office wastes no time compiling a list of possible candidates ... But even with the rules changes that significantly limit the minority party’s ability to block nominees, Republicans have procedural maneuvers to exploit ..."
Biden slams House GOP budget. W. Post: "'This is not your father’s Republican Party,' Biden said at George Washington University. 'What they clearly value, this new Republican Party, is more tax cuts for the wealthy at the expense of the middle class...' ... The topic of Biden’s speech suggested that he may play something of a 'bad cop' to Obama’s 'good cop' as the midterm strategy unfolds."
Nearly 5 million people denied health insurance under Obamacare by conservative states. National Journal: "So far, 19 states have decided to reject the Medicaid expansion, and 24 states will not implement the expansion this year. Five states are still debating whether or not to accept the funds—Utah, Missouri, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Of the 19 states that are currently refusing the Medicaid expansion, only one—Montana—has a Democratic governor ... That works out to about 10 percent of Americans living in poverty, or 1.4 percent of the total U.S. population."
