Reports coming out of Washington show House and Senate Democrats are holding the big coronavirus stimulus bill hostage in hopes of getting unrelated policy items included. Breitbart News says House Majority Whip Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) reportedly told Democrats on a conference call last week that the party should exploit the coronavirus stimulus: “This is a tremendous opportunity to restructure things to fit our vision.”
The Washington Times is calling the demands an “ideological wish list.”
The 1,119-page coronavirus stimulus bill circulating this morning, entitled the “Take Responsibility for Workers and Families Act” includes a lot of demands unrelated to coronavirus relief, as does the older version proposed last week.
Requirements for companies taking stimulus money include:
- $15 minimum wage for employees and independent contractors
- Neutrality agreements for airlines
- Airlines forced to give a seat on their board to unions
- expanding the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provisions to smaller employers
The National Right to Work Legal Foundation describes neutrality agreements as a contract between a union and an employer under which the employer agrees to support a union’s attempt to organize its workforce.
Other demands include:
- unprecedented bargaining power for unions
- increased fuel emission standards for airlines
- expansion of wind and solar tax credits
It’s hard to say what may be in the final bill. CNN’s Manu Raju recently tweeted, “House Dem aide says the latest bill text is now 1,400 pages. The 1,119-page bill was a previous version”
