Pelosi Outsmarts Trump And Gets The Biggest Expansion Of Paid Family Leave In 30 Years

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Last updated on September 25th, 2023 at 08:56 pm

Trump demanded that his Space Force be included in the defense spending bill Democrats traded it for the biggest expansion of federal worker paid family leave in 30 years.

The Washington Post report:

Ultimately, Democratic lawmakers and the White House struck a tentative bargain late last week to create Space Force in exchange for new parental-leave benefits for the federal workforce. If approved, it would be the biggest victory for federal employees in nearly 30 years.

….

Some Democratic aides think the proposed federal benefits package would cost about $3 billion, though there is disagreement about whether those costs would span five or 10 years. The expansion would give federal employees a rare victory after the Trump administration has sought to cut their benefits for three years. Many of them also endured the longest-ever government shutdown under the current administration roughly one year ago.

…..

At the outset of talks, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) encouraged House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith (D-Calif.) to trade Space Force for the paid-leave benefit, according to a senior Democratic aide who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal talks.

The one possible hang-up is that Republicans in Congress aren’t so keen on Space Force, and they may reject the deal because of the $3 billion cost of the paid family leave. Democrats were happy to trade off Trump’s silly Space Force, which he is planning on making a part of his reelection campaign for something that will help federal workers and their families.

Once again, Trump got taken by Nancy Pelosi. Sure, he is going to be able to run around screaming Space Force at all of his rallies next fall, but there are no voters who are on the fence who will vote for Trump because he got Space Force.

Trump handed over a long-time policy goal of Democrats (paid family-leave) in exchange for a concept that is routinely mocked every time that it is discussed. The self-described master negotiator got taken to town again by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

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Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

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