Oct 28, 2021
Democrats are expected to drop their paid family and medical leave proposal from President Joe Biden's spending bill, in the face of unrelenting opposition from Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.
Biden has pushed for months to include a 12-week paid leave provision in the bill but Manchin repeatedly balked at the plan. Democrats in recent days tried to cut the proposal to just four weeks but Manchin shot the compromise offer down as well. Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Patty Muray, D-Wash., confronted Manchin on the Senate floor on Wednesday to press him to agree to some sort of compromise but Manchin told reporters that he can't support the legislation.
"I just can't do it," Manchin said Wednesday, raising concerns about deficits and debt even though Democrats aim to pay for everything in the bill with revenue increases.