WASHINGTON - As women's participation in the workforce drops to the lowest level in decades, a senior senator says that her party plans to push for universal paid parental leave and medical leave in all 50 states later in the year.This is a top concern for me, it's a top goal for the White House and it's a top concern for our Democratic caucus," Patty Murray, Chair of Senate Health Committee, told BuzzFeed News in a BuzzFeed News interview.Murray stated that the plan was to use budget reconciliation. This is a Senate procedure that allows Democrats to pass legislation with a slim 50-seat majority without having to rely on Republican votes. Murray stated that there is currently no way forward for a bipartisan bill to pass the Senate's 60-vote threshold. She stated that there are currently not 10 Republicans willing to take up the challenge.It is still unknown how generous the Democratic parental-leave program will be. They will likely attempt to match President Joe Biden's election platform that all parents receive 12 weeks of paid parental leaves. His plan would see the federal government subsidize $4,000 per month to replace up to two-thirds a person's average weekly salary or up to 80% for low-wage workers.The Senate's budget reconciliation process demands that legislation be budget neutral. Therefore, the more extensive the aid, then the more revenue needed to pay it.Murray says the program is not only a social program, but also an economic program. The National Partnership for Women and Families released a study Friday showing that the US economy loses $650 billion each year due to the inability to pay parental and medical leave.Democrats are hopeful of passing a budget reconciliation bill this autumn that addresses many of their top priorities. However, they have no margin for error since every Democrat in the Senate must be onboard. Senator Kyrsten Sinema from Arizona raised concerns about the bill's cost this week. Even if one Democrat reacted negatively to the bill's size, it would be a serious threat to the plan. Murray however stated that her caucus was united in its support for parental and medical leave.She said that everyone of us hears the same thing, whether it is from those who don't have childcare or can't return to work, or people who can't apply for jobs due to their lack of childcare.The US is the only major industrial nation that doesn't require maternity and paternity leave. The National Partnership for Women and Families studied the participation rates of women aged 25-54 in the US workforce with Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom, all countries that offer paid parental and medical leaves.The study concluded that the US would have 4.85 million more women working if it performed like other developed nations. This would result in an additional $237 billion in annual wages and $650 billion economic output.Women were particularly affected by the pandemic, with their share of the workforce shrinking over the past year. As the economy has recovered, women have been slower to get new jobs. The year began with women's lowest participation in the labor force, which was a low of 33 years.The report shows that these policies are costing us $650 billion each year. This is more than what we can expect to spend in a national medical and family leave program over ten years. It pays for itself literally, according to Lelaine Bigelow (Partners interim vice president for congressional relationships and economic justice).Bigelow stated that this number is crucial as activists attempt to shift Congress' focus from infrastructure projects like roads and bridges towards social programs for workers.Democrats want to include in the reconciliation bill a childcare program that subsidizes daycare costs and caps them at 7% of each state's median income. Democrats have seen their hopes-for policies diminished or removed from the reconciliation process, such as the $15 federal minimum wage.Bigelow stated that activists are working on a campaign to keep pressure on lawmakers and get a paid family-leave program into the final reconciliation bill text. She said that lawmakers seeking quick cuts must understand that implementing a national paid medical and family leave policy will cost our economy more than the program's bill.
