“The timepiece is ticking,” Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) said. This “is a bipartisan measure that’s pro-mothers, pro-healthy pregnancies, and pro-workers” and “already passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support. Let’s get it done the Senate by the extremity of the year.”
Cassidy has met with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer astir the authorities aggregate times, a idiosyncratic acquainted with the conversations said — and adjacent work him a database of its Republican supporters name-by-name.
The measure would necessitate employers to supply large workers with alleged tenable accommodations successful the aforesaid vein arsenic those provided to disabled workers, similar much predominant bath breaks, the quality to transportation a h2o vessel and the enactment to beryllium during a shift.
Right now, the ineligible load for large workers is hefty capable that two-thirds suffer their favoritism cases successful court, according to A Better Balance, a radical advocating for the legislation. Thirty states — astir recently, Tennessee — person already passed their ain laws to code the issue.
It’s “an overwhelmingly bipartisan solution” that “has the enactment of religion organizations, maternal wellness groups, concern associations, labour unions, and women’s and civilian rights organizations,” said Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), co-chair of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, who led 130 colleagues successful sending a missive to Schumer earlier this period urging him to bring it to the Senate floor. “It’s a no-brainer. So what is the clasp up?”
Supporters person a Plan B if the measure can’t get a standalone ballot successful the Senate: adding it to immoderate year-end omnibus legislation. But that way is acold from assured either.
Schumer had lined up the measure for expedited information connected the level earlier POLITICO broke the quality that the Supreme Court would overturn Roe v. Wade. Democrats past decided to sideline it, a Senate committee adjutant said, retired of a tendency to debar the cognition that it was the party’s effect to the news.
Since then, Schumer has repeatedly insisted connected a clip statement with Republicans earlier helium brings the measure to the floor, Senate committee aides said. So far, continued absorption from a fistful of Senate Republicans, including Rand Paul (Ky.), has made that astir impossible.
Schumer’s bureau did not respond to aggregate requests for comment.
The measure has drawn enactment from groups arsenic divers arsenic the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the ACLU and U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Those endorsements helped it walk the House by a wide borderline successful May 2021, erstwhile lawmakers precocious it 315-101. Ninety-nine Republicans voted successful favor; 101 voted against.
Frustration with Schumer is boiling implicit among its apical proponents.
“We got [Schumer] a bipartisan civilian rights measure with implicit 60 votes to walk connected the Senate level implicit six months ago,” said Dina Bakst, president of A Better Balance, which has been pressuring Schumer to bring the measure to the floor. “If helium won’t marque level clip for PWFA and it dies, millions of large women and caller moms successful this state volition endure devastating maternal wellness and economical consequences due to the fact that of his inaction for years to come.”
Business groups, who helped draught the legislation, accidental it would assistance employers steer wide of pregnancy-related lawsuits and bolster the system by boosting women’s labour unit participation.
“The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act not lone helps large workers stay steadfast and successful the labour force, but besides removes ineligible ambiguities that person led to litigation,” said Glenn Spencer, elder vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Employment Policy Division.
A Better Balance has bombarded Schumer with letters from celebrities, advocacy groups and New York-based religion leaders. The radical has spent superior currency connected ads, including a caller full-page advertisement successful The New York Times, and is readying a rally connected the Hill for erstwhile lawmakers instrumentality aft Thanksgiving.
The Chamber of Commerce has besides been amping up the pressure, highlighting the measure successful a missive to lawmakers earlier this period outlining its priorities for the lame-duck session.
Paul opposes the measure for respective reasons, spokesperson Kelsey Cooper said, including its deficiency of spiritual exemptions.
“The measure could unit spiritual employers to supply accommodations that originate from an abortion, which could interruption the escaped workout of their spiritual beliefs,” Cooper said.
Unless Paul’s absorption tin beryllium overcome, the bill’s backers person 1 option: incorporating it into a year-end spending bundle that Congress indispensable walk earlier it breaks for Christmas. Committee aides accidental this is the astir apt way guardant — and Senate Democrats accidental plans to bash truthful are successful motion.
“We’re moving to get it successful the last package,” Senate HELP Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said. “There’s immoderate worldly going connected close present with the Republican caucus; we’re waiting for them to get things settled truthful we tin determine the last things.”
Yet here, too, Foxx and Paul’s absorption presents roadblocks. Foxx, who is seeking a waiver to seat the House Education and Labor Committee adjacent session, has successfully blockaded the bill’s inclusion successful erstwhile packages, committee aides said.
Foxx declined to accidental if she planned to bash truthful again. But she inactive “cannot enactment a measure that fails to support spiritual organizations from being forced to marque employment decisions that struggle with their faith,” she said.
English (US)