Biden’s Build Back Better Plan: Less Paid Leave for U.S Workforce

Originally proposed to Congress on Oct. 28, Biden’s new Build Back Better plan is garnering both controversy and support, especially regarding paid family leave. In order for the bill to pass, the Democratic Party needs to have the backing of the majority of their House of Representatives members and all 50 senators in their party. However, Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat from West Virginia, is one of the main opposers to the plan because he thinks that it will put the U.S. in further debt and believes paid leave should be included in a different bill (American Broadcasting Company). The Build Back Better bill ranges between $1.75 trillion and $2 trillion so far, and it includes benefits such as free preschool for all children, ensuring clean energy technology and paid family leave (The Washington Post). Initially, the Build Back Better bill was supposed to include 12 weeks of leave, but paid leave was removed for about a week before being reinstated and limited to four weeks (Cable News Network).  

Currently, the legislation is undergoing a process of budget reconciliation. The Democratic Party is trying to find ways to fit the budget, and one option to economize the price is to decrease the number of weeks allotted for paid leave. National paid family leave can be expensive, as the estimated cost is projected upward of $225 billion over a 10-year period (Consumer News and Business Channel). Another possible solution being discussed is a tax on the wealthy to help cover the costs, but that has sparked controversy as well, especially among the Republican Party. Although decreasing the number of weeks on paid leave seems to be the current resolution, many believe that four weeks is not enough time, especially for new parents. According to the National Partnership for Women and Families, an organization dedicated to advocating for health care and reproductive rights for women, children experience positive health outcomes from their parents being able to take time off to bond as a family. Research from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) shows that a lack of parent-child bonding in early life can lead to long-term mental health problems later and that the brain development of infants relies on a loving relationship with a primary caregiver. Associate Principal Christina Sunada strongly believes that new parents should be able to have more time with their newborn children and wishes she had more time with her two children. 

 “It [is not only] hard for [new] mothers to go back to work right away if they need the income [because] their bodies [are] not ready, [but also] fathers and mothers who did not give birth need that bonding time with their new babies,” Sunada said. “[There is] a lot of bonding that happens in the first year of life. I am fortunate enough for my husband to work from home, so he is able to spend a lot of time with my boys and [can make] those bonds with them now. I think parents should have a year to learn how to be a new family group.”

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has also affected paid leave, as many have had to take time off to care for sick family members or recovering from illness themselves. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), establishments with 50 to 99 workers experienced a 30% increase in paid leave given to workers between July and September of 2020. However, even before the pandemic, about 23% of Americans had previously taken leave to care for a sick family member (Pew Research Center). Statistics and Essentials of Algebra teacher Monica Rudder reflects on how the new bill will affect other teachers with situations similar to hers. 

 “I took a leave of absence to take care of my mother who needed extra care for her advancing dementia,” Rudder said. “After a year and a half [of leave], I was able to return to work. My mom lived with us and lived a much fuller life because I was able to take time to be with her.” 

Caring for loved ones is one of the main reasons people take leave, besides maternity and personal health problems (National Partnership for Women and Families). Many agree that taking leave to care for family in most cases can be extremely necessary, but could put financial stress on people having to take time off from work. 

While maternity leave seems to be generally supported by the public, there seems to be less widespread support for paternity leave; this could be due to traditional societal roles, in which a mother would take care of the child while the father works (British Broadcasting Company). Although paternity leave in the U.S. is more normalized today than it would have been a century ago, maternity leave gets more time than paternity leave in most countries. According to the World Policy Analysis Center at the University of California, Los Angeles, 109 countries currently offer parental leave to fathers, which is less than the 186 countries that give leave for mothers. Currently, paternity leave is 12 unpaid weeks and is only applicable for about 40 percent of the workforce. English 1 Honors and English 2 Honors teacher Maria McCloud believes that paternity leave should be given the same attention as maternity leave.“Just because the mother is the one that gives birth [that] does not mean the father is not equally important,” McCloud said. “You have two parents who have created the child, two parents who are raising the child and both of them should have that time to be home with their new child.”