Biden wants fast COVID aid, but minimum wage hike in doubt

Biden wants fast COVID aid, but minimum wage hike in doubt

WASHINGTON (AP) “” President Joe Biden laid out his case Friday for moving fast to pass $1.9 trillion in coronavirus relief, but even as he opened the door to proceeding without Republicans, he conceded that a key element of his plan “” hiking the minimum wage to $15 per hour “” was unlikely to become law.

The stakes for the county and economy were amplified Friday morning by the release of the government's jobs report for January, which showed that hiring had stalled to a pace that could hinder a return to full employment for several years. Some 406,000 people left the labor force last month as deaths from the pandemic have surged.

"A lot of folks are losing hope,“ Biden said in a speech at the White House. "I believe the American people are looking right now to their government for help, to do our job, to not let them down. So I'm going to act. I'm going to act fast. I'd like to be doing it with the support of Republicans “¦ they're just not willing to go as far as I think we have to go.“

The jobs report landed shortly after Senate Democrats cast a decisive vote to muscle