Good morning, I'm Charlotte Freelim from the Washington Post, and this is the Daily

202 for Friday, February 26.

In today's news, Biden defends his vaccine rollout as he marks 50 million vaccinations,

and a sailor who fell overboard clung to sea rubbish for 16 hours to survive.

But first, the big idea.

The Senate parliamentarian has ruled that President Biden's proposed $15 an hour minimum

wage increase cannot remain in his coronavirus relief bill as written.

Congressional reporter Erica Werner writes that the guidance from the parliamentarian, Elizabeth

McDonough, was communicated privately to key Senate offices and confirmed by aides in

both parties.

This could be a major setback for liberals hoping to use Biden's $1.9 trillion relief bill

as the vehicle for their long-sought goal of raising the federal minimum wage.

The ruling pertains only to the Senate, where the legislation will move forward under complex

rules that prohibit certain items that don't have a particular impact on the budget.

McDonough determined that, as written, the minimum wage increase did not pass that test.

Although that was the predicted outcome by a number of Democrats, including the President

himself, Democrats' next steps are unclear.

The House will move forward today to pass the stimulus relief package and send it to

the Senate.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has committed to keeping the minimum wage increase in the bill.

If she does, majority leader Chuck Schumer will face a decision on whether to take out

the minimum wage increase or try to keep it in the bill.

...