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WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 03: Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) walks to a Democratic House caucus meeting on Capitol Hill on November 3, 2021 in Washington, DC. Democrats continue to negotiate within the party on the Biden administration's social policy, infrastructure and climate change agenda.
Democratic lawmakers have put back paid family and medical leave into their party's sweeping domestic policy bill after it was removed due to heavy opposition. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi revealed the decision was at the urging of members of the House Democratic caucus.
On Wednesday, Pelosi wrote a letter to colleagues about the re-inclusion of the paid leave into the policy bill. The decision comes a day after GOP members were able to gain ground during Tuesday's elections, including among suburban voters and women in states such as Virginia.
Paid Family and Medical Leave
In a statement, the house speaker said she expected changes to the legislation to be discussed in the House Rules Committee on Wednesday that could potentially schedule a vote later this week. One of the issues that will be debated regarding the bill is a proposal to reduce the cost of prescription drugs for senior citizens, with Democrats announcing a deal on Tuesday.
House Democrats are working on legislation that includes a four-week paid leave program for United States residents. The program would consist of all types of leave and cater to new parents and a broader audience. It is scheduled to start in 2024 and be a permanent program to assist Americans, NPR reported.
The entire policy bill has a price tag of $1.75 trillion and is one of United States President Joe Biden's priorities. The re-inclusion of the paid family and medical leave into the bill signals Democrats' push to finish negotiations and start voting after losing much of their power in the government.
On Wednesday, the House Rules Committee convened to discuss the revised legislation, which is an essential step ahead of initial House votes, which could come as early as Thursday. Democrats are rushing to deliver many of Biden's proposals after many Republicans won the election in Virginia.
Many Virginia voters revealed that their vote heavily considered the drawn-out negotiations in Washington over the U.S. president's governing agenda. Capitol Hill took the brunt of the blame due to Democrats spending many months failing to deliver legislation, PBS reported.
Opposition to the Legislation
Previously, the paid family and medical leave provision was nearly abandoned altogether by Democrats after opposition from a crucial centrist swing vote, West Virginia's Sen. Joe Manchin III. On Wednesday, however, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, the biggest champion in the Senate in support of the provision, cautioned that Manchin had assured he was still open to negotiations.
Additionally, the provision was initially intended only to be available for new parents, not sicknesses or other family emergencies. Manchin's opposition was found to be the primary reason that the provision was being considered to be dropped despite heavy support from Democrats and outside advocacy groups due to its potentially positive effects on the American people.
"I'm looking at everything. But to put this into a reconciliation bill - it's a major policy - is not the place to do it," Manchin said on Wednesday regarding his continued opposition to U.S. President Joe Biden's paid leave provision, the New York Times reported.
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