Democrats Scramble to Add Wage Hike Without Slowing Stimulus

Democrats are racing to salvage a key progressive agenda item -- higher wages for low-paid workers -- but they are running out of time to attach it to their $1.9 trillion stimulus bill and pass the legislation by a March 14 deadline.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is considering whether to add a provision that would penalize large corporations that don’t pay workers at least a $15 hourly wage, said a senior Democratic aide. That’s the level President Joe Biden proposed to phase in as part of his Covid-19 relief program.

The prospect of adding a tax measure presents a ...