Back on Bill's bullshit

An item of some local interest appeared in last night's State of the Union address.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy's hoping his paid family leave proposal will get a boost from President Donald Trump after Tuesday's State of the Union address.

During Trump’s address, he called on Congress to pass the Advancing Support for Working Families Act that Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, has taken a lead role in sponsoring.

“Forty million American families have an average $2,200 extra thanks to our child tax credit,” Trump said.

As this article goes on to point out, though Bill's proposal is so bad it can barely even be considered a "tax credit."  It's an advance that you can borrow against an existing tax credit.

Under Cassidy’s plan, parents could borrow against future benefits from the federal Child Tax Credit that was doubled under the 2018 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. New parents would qualify for a $5,000 advance on the credit when a child is born or adopted. For the following 10 years, those parents would be eligible for a $1,500 Child Tax Credit, instead of the $2,000 credit otherwise allowed.

Bill is just telling people they have to use their own future money in order to partially cover present expenses. But it's the present expenses that new parents actually need to mitigate.  Bill's idea is no help at all there. If anything it is an impediment to actual progress.

Further, this proposal comes at a time of existing bipartisan support for more generous and comprehensive family leave policies. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Rosa DeLaura (D-Conn.) have introduced a competing, bipartisan plan with hundreds of cosponsors in the House and Senate.

The Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act (FAMILY) would guarantee “up to 12 weeks of paid leave each year. . .and for self-care or the care of a seriously ill family member. It would pool small contributions from employees and employers,” Chun-Hoon wrote in the Arizona Capitol Times, noting that this bill is modeled off of existing legislation in eight states and the District of Columbia.

Contrary to the Cassidy-Sinema plan, existing state legislation and the FAMILY Act ensure that low-income workers get their full paychecks during leave and can keep their jobs when they are ready to return.

Bill's bill isn't the only family leave bill. It isn't even the only "bi-partisan" family leave bill.  But it is the one Trump chose to highlight.  Why? Maybe Bill just has that certain sort of genius that Trump favors.

This is what happens when you have no friends.

They let you put up a huge sign at your DC fundraiser with Washington misspelled.

Someone get this man a dictionary and a map of the city where he pretends to work. pic.twitter.com/6kBViTsDMJ

— Antoine Pierce for U.S. Senate (@AntoinePierce) February 5, 2020