When Democrats want to pass legislation they will use any method available, including budgetary reconciliation to avoid the legislative threshold.  In an almost identical manner to the creation of Obamacare, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer once again used the ‘reconciliation process’ to initiate another massive expansion of government.

Meanwhile, Mitch McConnell pretends to gnash his teeth…

WASHINGTON – “[…] The Senate bill includes several changes from the version passed by the House last week. The House’s legislation would have increased the minimum wage to $15 an hour, which the Senate parliamentarian determined violated Senate rules. While Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) sought to overrule the parliamentarian and pass the minimum wage hike as an amendment to the package Friday, eight Senate Democrats joined Republicans in voting against it, a sign that it had no chance of passing.

Democrats also agreed to an amendment from Manchin that would provide $300 a week in payments through Sept. 6, rather than the $400 a week through August that the bill originally laid out. The change would also provide up to $10,200 in tax relief for laid off workers for households with incomes under $150,000 a year.

House Democrats appear on track to approve the Senate’s changes. […] And centrists, some of whom had been uneasy about the size of the package, are likely to embrace Manchin’s tweaks on unemployment benefits — providing them political cover, as well, to support the final deal.” (link)