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President Trump's Proposed Budget Calls For 6 Weeks of Paid Leave


On Monday, President Donald Trump's administration rolled out its 2019 budget request and addendum which includes a proposal for 6 weeks of paid leave for new mothers and fathers (including those who adopt).  As always, many will now ask, "Ok, how are you going to pay for it?"  Under the 2019 budget request, these 6 weeks of paid leave would be funded through state unemployment insurance.  (Readers might recall that this is nearly identical to last year's proposal in the 2018 budget request).  

This proposal has started to gain traction among ranking Republicans in Congress, including Mike Lee (from Utah) and Jodi Ernst (from Iowa).  However, there have been critics (on both sides of the aisle) that have argued that funding paid leave through state unemployment insurance is an idea destined to fail...given that it could further hamper already cash-strapped state unemployment insurance.  That could lead to states choosing to raise taxes to cover this paid leave proposal.

Interesting to note that this paid leave proposal in President Trump's budget request bypasses a paid leave idea that had been floated by Senator Marco Rubio and Ivanka Trump earlier this month.  As readers are likely aware, that proposal has met much heavier resistance (notwithstanding the fact that Senator Rubio and Ivanka Trump have yet to produce an actual bill).

Will President Trump's proposal gain much traction?  It is certainly possible as there appears to be an appetite among both Republicans and Democrats to finally approve some sort of nationwide paid leave plan.  The question is whether enough Congressmen and Congresswomen can rally around one proposal to actually make nationwide paid leave a reality.

Stay tuned.




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