Democratic lawmakers are asking questions about the cost of a federal jobs program being put together by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., that would guarantee a job to any American who “wants or needs one,” and those questions are keeping some Democrats from supporting the bill.
Democrats are generally receptive to job-generating bills. In recent weeks, two other Senate Democrats, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y,, have released similar plans.
But members are raising questions about how the former Democratic presidential candidate wants to pay for it and how much it would cost.
“I’m anxious for Bernie to show me how it’s going to be done,” said Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the No. 2-ranked Senate Democrat, about the cost. “He’s had some good ideas, but sometimes when it gets down to the actual cost of the idea, they need to be worked on a little bit.”
“There are a lot of variations on this theme,” Durbin said. “But making sure that people who want to work get a chance to work is fundamental, and then, secondly, that they earn enough so they can enjoy a basic American life as we know it. It’s all part of the same thing. I don’t disagree with his conclusion. I think the premise though is educational training. I’d like to see a greater commitment to that.”
According to the Washington Post, Sanders’ plan will focus on priorities including infrastructure, the environment, and education among other areas, and fund hundreds of projects across the U.S. The guarantee would allow every American to either receive one of these jobs, which would pay at least $15 per hour and include health benefits, or get training toward a job.
Sanders has yet to release the details of his plan and, in the process, has left many of his Democratic caucus colleagues in the dark and left to wonder about his plan to fund the proposal.
“I don’t know how he has in mind to pay for it,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. “I really would like to see the details. I’ve seen some headlines, but I haven’t seen a summary even.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., also told reporters Tuesday that he hasn’t seen the proposal yet, but that he is all for expanding job opportunities for individuals. Sens. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Tom Carper, D-Del., had similar comments.
Since news of the plan emerged, Republicans have seized upon the expected proposal. The Republican National Committee declared Wednesday that the Democratic Party has officially been “Bernified.”
They also see it as an opportunity to attack red-state Democrats who are up for re-election in November, many of whom likely will have to take a stand on the proposal and choose between independents and the Democratic base.
“If you’re a red-state Democrat, you’ve got to defend why a mass federal expenditure on a basic government takeover of the employment sector is appropriate,” said Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
Republicans also see it as a hypocritical call from the Democratic ranks who have been criticizing their GOP colleagues for projected increases in the deficit and the national debt.
“I think he may have been raising the issue of deficits and debt associated with the tax bill, which will be more than paid for in my view by the economic growth,” said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. “But I dare say, I think, that’s going to be prohibitively expensive.”
Nevertheless, Democrats want to see the proposal and are willing to pay attention to Sanders’ plan.
“I don’t dismiss out of hand anything Bernie Sanders suggests,” said Rep. Joe Crowley, D-N.Y., a former colleague of Sanders’ in the House. “It’s something I want to look into.”
