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You Get a Job! You Get a Job! Everyone Gets a Job! Senator Bernie Sanders To Push Guaranteed Jobs Bill Paying $15/Hour


Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is expected to announce his support for a bill that would provide a guaranteed federal job for all (with pay set at $15/hour) and also provide health care to these workers.  Advocates of this plan have hailed it as an ambitious proposal that would have a wide spread positive impact on American workers.

Under this proposal, advocates have pointed out that any American that wants a job would receive one.  (It logically follows that the unemployment rate would subsequently drop, perhaps to an all time low).  In doing so, these workers could begin work on infrastructure projects, pursue health care or education positions, and other goals/projects that would require federal workers.  It has been suggested that this proposal would also spur employers to provide more benefits and better pay to attract (and retain) the best of the best.  (If not, these workers would presumably work for the federal government, with $15/hour pay and health care).  As a result, this proposal is viewed as a potential catalyst to creat wide spread wage growth.

Of course, early critics of this proposal have argued that the sheer scope of the plan (to offer a guaranteed $15/hour federal job and health care to any American that wants one) would be impossible to fund, let alone manage.  As well, it is likely that many employers that were ‘forced’ to raise wages in order to compete with the $15/hour federal government jobs, would ultimately pass these increased labor costs on to consumers.  (Although a recent report suggested a majority of Americans would not be opposed to higher costs for food/services, if it meant employees received a minimum wage hike).

With that being said, with Republicans controlling Congress, this proposal likely will not get very far once Senator Sanders formally introduces it.  As most Republicans do not support this sort of federal jobs proposal, so long as Republicans control Congress (and decide what bills go before a committee or to the full House and Senate for a debate and vote), this proposal will likely remain on the back burner for the time being.  Regardless, perhaps this proposal eventually leads to a different, less expansive proposal that could find enough support in a Congress to become law?


For additional information:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2018/04/23/bernie-sanders-to-unveil-plan-to-guarantee-every-american-a-job/?utm_term=.97ce7c768912

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