Senate Approves Relief Package, Dismisses Minimum Wage Hike

The New York Times: Senate Votes Against Minimum Wage Hike During Pandemic As Biden’s Economic Plan Moves Forward
As lawmakers advanced President Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus package on Thursday, the Senate dealt a setback to a major tenet of the plan: raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. By a voice vote, senators backed an amendment from Senator Joni Ernst, Republican of Iowa, to “prohibit the increase of the federal minimum wage during a global pandemic.” It was a signal that the wage hike would be difficult to pass in an evenly split Senate, where at least one Democrat, Senator Joe Manchin III of West Virginia, was on record opposing it. (Broadwater, Fuchs and Tankersley, 2/4)

Politico: Senate Vote Indicates More Targeted Stimulus Checks For Biden 
The Senate overwhelmingly approved a proposal led by Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) barring "upper-income taxpayers" from eligibility for stimulus checks proposed by President Joe Biden, the latest sign that the next round of direct payments will be far more targeted than previous rounds. "The question before us is quite simple. Do we want stimulus checks to go to households with family incomes of $300,000? Or do we want to target the assistance to struggling families who need the help and provide a boost for the economy?" asked Collins. (Everett, 2/4)

Politico: Romney Proposes Child Care Benefit For Families, Fueling Democrats' Push 
Senator Mitt Romney (R-Utah) on Thursday released a plan to provide families with a monthly cash benefit of as much $350 for each child, embracing calls by President Joe Biden and Democrats to increase the child care tax credit to help low-income Americans struggling during the pandemic. Romney’s Family Security Act would replace the Child Tax Credit with a $3,000 yearly benefit per child — $4,200 for kids under the age of 5 — spread out in monthly installments that begin four months before a child’s due date, according to a summary of the proposal. (Rainey, 2/4)

In legislative news from Virginia and New Mexico —

Richmond Times Dispatch: Roughly 1.2 Million Essential Workers In Va. Don't Have Paid Sick Leave In A Public Health Crisis. That Could Soon Change 
Eleven months into a public health crisis that placed essential workers at the highest risk of contracting COVID-19, about 1.2 million of them in Virginia wouldn't be able to quarantine without sacrificing wages. That could soon change. (Moreno, 2/4)

Albuquerque Journal: Sick Leave Proposal Takes Shape In House
A revised proposal that would require New Mexico employers to offer paid sick leave to their workforce is moving forward in the House after clearing its first committee. The legislation, House Bill 20, was amended Thursday to incorporate some ideas from a competing bill, and it passed 5-3 with Democrats in favor and Republicans opposed. Employees would accrue at least one hour of paid leave for every 30 hours worked. They could use up to 64 hours of earned leave in a 12-month period, unless the employer offers a higher limit. The requirement would apply regardless of the size of the business. (McKay, 2/4)

In other news about covid's economic toll —

The Washington Post: Airlines Warn Employees They Could Be Furloughed At The End Of March 
Two of the nation’s largest airlines said tens of thousands of workers again could face furloughs as demand for air travel continues to lag amid the slow rollout of coronavirus vaccines and new testing requirements for international travelers. Recent announcements by United Airlines and American Airlines come as aviation unions have begun to push for a second extension of the Payroll Support Program that has kept many workers on the job. The renewed effort, backed by the airlines, is an acknowledgment that a recovery the industry had hoped would come this spring isn’t likely to happen. (Aratani, 2/4)

NBC News: Fearing Trump-Era Rule, Families Are Forgoing Health, Food Assistance
During the Covid-19 pandemic, families aren't pursuing benefits they qualify for, fearing that a Trump administration rule will affect the chances of an immigrant family member to get a green card or U.S. citizenship. (Acevedo and Cervantes, 2/5)

NBC News: More Americans Cite Money Issues For Moving Than Covid Risk
More Americans say financial struggles have motivated them to move during the pandemic than fear of getting the virus, according to a Pew Research Center survey released Thursday. About one-third of adults surveyed in November cited financial stressors as the main factor in their decision to relocate, with 17 percent citing job loss and 15 percent financial problems other than job loss. (Silva, 2/4)