House Democrats to Introduce Federal Jobs Guarantee Bill
House Democrats to Introduce Federal Jobs Guarantee Bill
Freshman Rep. Ro Khanna wants to provide an opportunity
for federally subsidized employment as the ascendant left wing of the
Democratic Party gains footing.
By Gideon Resnick 07.24.18 12:13 PM ET
Progressive Democrats’ embrace of some kind of federal
jobs guarantee program—harkening back to a policy prescription issued in
President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1944 State of the Union address—got a boost
on Tuesday in the form of a new House bill.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), a freshman member who recently
also joined the “Medicare for All” caucus, will introduce the Job Opportunities
for All Act on Tuesday with nine additional co-sponsors, including Reps. Raúl
Grijalva (D-AZ), Mark Pocan (D-WI) and Yvette Clarke (D-NY).
“In the richest country on earth, no one should be denied
the opportunity to earn a living. 75 years after President Roosevelt recognized
this fundamental right, it is time to act,” Khanna said in a statement. “This
pragmatic and comprehensive legislation will accomplish his vision. The bill
provides the tools to get our people back to work, whether one is laid off due
to a factory closing, is a victim of racial discrimination, or has faced a long
battle with homelessness.”
The bill, according to Khanna’s office, would appropriate
funds from the Department of Labor to provide for federally subsidized
employment. It would impose placement lengths for the program, opportunities in
the private sector, and varied income levels, making it more of a compromise in
certain respects than the similar bills being proposed in the Senate.
Sen. Cory Booker’s (D-NJ) legislation would create a
pilot program for a federal jobs guarantee initiative in 15 communities
throughout the country with particularly high unemployment. The program would
last three years in those communities. Meanwhile, Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-VT)
bill would be much more expansive.
Khanna’s House bill would place people in jobs for an
18-month period with a possible 12-month extension—with a requirement that they
remain in the job for at least three months.
To be eligible, according to the bill, workers must be at
least 18 years old and be out of work for more than 90 days, or have earning
below poverty level for the previous six months.
The Department of Labor would manage grants that are provided
with preference given to “applicants in areas facing acute challenges,
including but not limited to persistent racial unemployment gap, drug addiction
epidemics, or high mortality rates.”
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