Last Stand: Democrats are running out of road in their pursuit of universal paid leave, and the GOP (and Manchin) isn't building them an off-ramp.

basquebromance

Diamond Member
Nov 26, 2015
109,396
26,988
2,220
paid leave actually saves money


excerpts:

“I’ve urged Sen. Manchin that there are many things that we can do on a bipartisan basis. But they do not include a universal earned benefit. It does not include something that’s mandatory,” said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), who’s doggedly trying to sway Manchin.

Gillibrand maintains the only way to cover West Virginians with low incomes is “a universal mandatory benefit. And the only chance of ever covering them would be something we would do now during reconciliation.”

If Manchin succeeds in dropping the paid leave program, it would be a major blow to Democrats’ efforts to bring the U.S. in line with most other developed countries. Right now, America is the only wealthy nation without some form of paid leave at a national level. The House originally sought 12 weeks of paid leave, but the White House dropped it from its framework citing Manchin’s objections. House leadership then shoehorned a four-week version back into the bill before passing it, effectively punting the issue to the Senate.

Now, Democrats are considering the possibility that their signature bill — confronting childcare, education, climate change and tax reform — could shirk a benefit most in the party think represents an obvious political win given its bipartisan popularity.

“We passed unpaid leave when I first became a senator in 1993, and we were told that we would be able to get a paid leave policy bipartisan,” said Senate HELP Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.). “Here we are 30 years later, and we don’t have it. So I don’t know where the miracle is that as soon as we get [the social spending bill] passed, there’s going to be some bipartisan paid leave program.”

The House-passed program would cost around $200 billion — in line with the $225 billion Biden initially proposed. It would cover all workers wishing to take paid time off to deal with the birth of a newborn, care for a family member or recover from an illness or injury, among other situations, beginning in 2024.

Workers with average incomes would receive around two-thirds of their pay, while workers with lower incomes would receive a greater share of their pay and workers with higher incomes would receive a smaller share. The benefit would be capped at around $800 a week.

Republicans are waiting to see if Manchin moves to strip out the paid leave provision on the Senate floor — or if leadership removes it preemptively to appease him. If that doesn’t happen, Republicans may challenge whether the paid leave provisions of the bill meet the budget reconciliation rules that allow Democrats to pass Biden’s social spending legislation with a simple majority vote, according to a Republican close to the issue.

“There are some who say it needs to be universal and I just don’t see that happening,” said Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), who is close friends with Gillibrand. “She’s not bought into my idea and I’m not bought into hers.”
 
paid leave actually saves money


excerpts:

“I’ve urged Sen. Manchin that there are many things that we can do on a bipartisan basis. But they do not include a universal earned benefit. It does not include something that’s mandatory,” said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), who’s doggedly trying to sway Manchin.

Gillibrand maintains the only way to cover West Virginians with low incomes is “a universal mandatory benefit. And the only chance of ever covering them would be something we would do now during reconciliation.”

If Manchin succeeds in dropping the paid leave program, it would be a major blow to Democrats’ efforts to bring the U.S. in line with most other developed countries. Right now, America is the only wealthy nation without some form of paid leave at a national level. The House originally sought 12 weeks of paid leave, but the White House dropped it from its framework citing Manchin’s objections. House leadership then shoehorned a four-week version back into the bill before passing it, effectively punting the issue to the Senate.

Now, Democrats are considering the possibility that their signature bill — confronting childcare, education, climate change and tax reform — could shirk a benefit most in the party think represents an obvious political win given its bipartisan popularity.

“We passed unpaid leave when I first became a senator in 1993, and we were told that we would be able to get a paid leave policy bipartisan,” said Senate HELP Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.). “Here we are 30 years later, and we don’t have it. So I don’t know where the miracle is that as soon as we get [the social spending bill] passed, there’s going to be some bipartisan paid leave program.”

The House-passed program would cost around $200 billion — in line with the $225 billion Biden initially proposed. It would cover all workers wishing to take paid time off to deal with the birth of a newborn, care for a family member or recover from an illness or injury, among other situations, beginning in 2024.

Workers with average incomes would receive around two-thirds of their pay, while workers with lower incomes would receive a greater share of their pay and workers with higher incomes would receive a smaller share. The benefit would be capped at around $800 a week.

Republicans are waiting to see if Manchin moves to strip out the paid leave provision on the Senate floor — or if leadership removes it preemptively to appease him. If that doesn’t happen, Republicans may challenge whether the paid leave provisions of the bill meet the budget reconciliation rules that allow Democrats to pass Biden’s social spending legislation with a simple majority vote, according to a Republican close to the issue.

“There are some who say it needs to be universal and I just don’t see that happening,” said Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), who is close friends with Gillibrand. “She’s not bought into my idea and I’m not bought into hers.”
Baloney.
 
But the tax cuts for the rich will stay and then the Democrats will wonder why they lose.
 
Nearly all modern first world countries have it. Shouldn't America have it too?
It would almost assuredly do something positive for America's quality of life.

Once again, it boils down to breaking the hold the very wealthy has on income inequality.

No, it's not the very wealthy's own money to keep. A country's people provided them with the opportunity to make lots of money. Now the country wants them to share a little bit of it.
 
Nearly all modern first world countries have it. Shouldn't America have it too?
It would almost assuredly do something positive for America's quality of life.

Once again, it boils down to breaking the hold the very wealthy has on income inequality.

No, it's not the very wealthy's own money to keep. A country's people provided them with the opportunity to make lots of money. Now the country wants them to share a little bit of it.
Make your own money and stop whining about others...greedy lazy dems make me sick....we are not all other nations we are America and we are great because we are different....
We have rights enumerated by the constitution and we have the right to not have our wealth confiscated and given to the lazy among us....
 
Make your own money and stop whining about others...greedy lazy dems make me sick....we are not all other nations we are America and we are great because we are different....
We have rights enumerated by the constitution and we have the right to not have our wealth confiscated and given to the lazy among us....
You're too rabid and frothing at the mouth for me to even attempt a discussion with you.
Correct your extremist behaviour or you'll end up being ignored like the Martian.
 
You're too rabid and frothing at the mouth for me to even attempt a discussion with you.
Correct your extremist behaviour or you'll end up being ignored like the Martian.
Oh I'm so scared...go, away snowflake...if you ain't got the balls or the intelligence to argue a point go the fuck away and put me on ignore pussy....I welcome it....freaking snowflakes make me sick....
 
They were undercut by Trump. How is that China trade deal coming along?
Actually the farm goods tariffs and trade rules Trump put in place is the only thing Trump did that Joe hasn't undone yet....
 
You're too rabid and frothing at the mouth for me to even attempt a discussion with you.
Correct your extremist behaviour or you'll end up being ignored like the Martian.
So says Canada's Donald Hong.....servant of XI
 
Would the prerequisites to qualify for this be as lax as those to qualify for FMLA?

Because WAY too many of my coworkers over the years have abused FMLA as an excuse to call in repeatedly without getting canned. I can only imagine they’d abuse it even more if the were also getting paid.
 
The number of flma abusers is probably less than ..00000001 percent. Next you'll want to get rid of paid sick leave and paid vacation time. Workers must be treated poorly. Welcome to America.
 
Whatever happened to the concept of living beneath one’s means and saving for a rainy day?
 
You're too rabid and frothing at the mouth for me to even attempt a discussion with you.
Correct your extremist behaviour or you'll end up being ignored like the Martian.
BBB is dead....:yes_text12:...Thanks Manchin....
 

New Topics

Forum List

Back
Top