Finances Reconciliation May Supply Hope for Paid Household Depart – What Does It Imply For You?

Michael Brochstein / SOPA Images / Shutterstock / Michael Brochstein / SOPA Images / Shutterstock

American workers who support a national paid family vacation program could get good news if the Democrats in Congress use the upcoming budget reconciliation process to push through such a plan.

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Paid family vacation is a top priority for the Democrats on the path to balancing the budget, CNBC reported Monday. Because of the way the budget reconciliation process works – which requires a simple majority vote in Congress that cannot be thwarted – the Dems have the upper hand in approving a paid family vacation plan that many Republicans are opposed to.

Last week, the US House of Representatives voted for a budget resolution required to unlock a filibuster-proof package of $ 3.5 trillion in domestic spending and tax breaks, the Roll Call website reported. Congress leaders hope the reconciliation package will be ready by September 15, with the aim of getting both the Reconciliation and Infrastructure Acts passed by the end of the month.

Democrats warmed up on paid family vacation after seeing the results of a federal temporary program introduced last year as part of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. This program, which helped qualified families keep their jobs and pay their bills, ended in late 2020.

Advocates of permanent paid family leave and medical leave spent part of the summer running a two-week “Paid Vacation For All” campaign that ended in 10 states. Now they see a unique opportunity to implement their proposals in the context of the upcoming budget reconciliation.

“We believe the next four weeks will be a sprint and we think this is the year it has to happen,” Dawn Huckelbridge, director of Paid Leave for All, told CNBC.

Since the Democrats have a slim majority control of Congress, they can pass important laws with a simple majority, according to Lexology’s legal website. But it’s not a sure thing. Congress probably only has one chance to try a budget reconciliation this year, and there are complex rules for what can be passed.

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If Dems is able to enforce a family vacation plan, it will likely align with President Joe Biden’s American family plan for 12 weeks of paid vacation. After that, skilled workers could look after a new child, recover from illness, care for a family member, or manage other life events such as bereavement and military action.

The program would offer workers up to $ 4,000 a month, Lexology reported, replacing at least two-thirds of the average weekly wage for most workers and 80% for low-income earners. The program would be phased in over a 10 year period.

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About the author

Vance Cariaga is a London based writer, editor and journalist who previously worked for Investor’s Business Daily, The Charlotte Business Journal and The Charlotte Observer. His work has also appeared in Charlotte Magazine, Street & Smith’s Sports Business Journal, and Business North Carolina Magazine. He holds a BA in English from Appalachian State University and studied journalism from the University of South Carolina. His coverage has been recognized by the North Carolina Press Association, the Green Eyeshade Awards, and AlterNet. Vance’s. is from North Carolina and also writes fiction The short story “Saint Christopher” took second place in the 2019 Writer’s Digest Short Short Story Competition. Two of his short stories appear in With One Eye on the Cows, an anthology published by Ad Hoc Fiction in 2019. His debut novel, Voodoo Hideaway, will be published by Atmosphere Press in 2021.