A truce on minimum wage and health savings accounts?
Two deeply partisan issues, the president's expansion of tax-advantaged health savings accounts and Democrats' wishes to boost the minimum wage, could merge into a summer compromise, according to sources on both sides. While there is no public endorsement of any deal, administration and congressional Democratic officials said they might be open to discussing a deal in which the president would win much of what he wants in return for an increase in the minimum wage.
"We have a real opportunity to get some of the health savings account expansion passed," said a Republican strategist. And to do that, the strategist said that the administration may be open to reconsidering its historic opposition to any rise in the minimum wage. In fact, the strategist said that some moderates facing a tough re-election this fall might want to look friendly to a wage boost, and, if they can also get a victory on health savings account expansions, it would be even better.
"Nothing's in the works now, but it is a compromise that would work," said an administration insider.
Health savings accounts allow people to set aside money tax free to be spent on healthcare costs.
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