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health care or the perfect job
government aid or minimum wage
child care or a day's pay
starting a family or saving for retirement
Some things we shouldn't have to choose between. Now we won't have to.
Raising Wages
We live in a state that allows people to work 40 hours a week and earn just over $15,000 a year (or about $1,250 per month). That’s not a living wage—and unfortunately, Tennessee is not alone. But we can change this unsustainable system. By raising the federal minimum wage for all workers, we can ensure that workers are paid fairly for their contribution to our economy. By balancing an increased minimum wage with universal basic income, we can keep our small businesses competitive without exploiting American workers.
Paid Parental Leave
What do Estonia, Chile, Australia, France, Mexico, Korea, and dozens of other countries have that we don’t? Paid parental leave. Those countries recognize what every parent knows: that raising a child is an incredibly demanding job. At the bare minimum, we must allow new parents to bond with their children by providing eight consecutive weeks of full paid leave for the primary caregiver upon the birth, adoption, or fostering of a new child. For the 18 months after that, both parents should have the option to take an additional 26 weeks of parental leave at a reduced pay rate.
Medicare for All
Health care is a human right. If you lose your job, you shouldn’t lose your health care too. When we separate healthcare coverage from employment, workers can pursue careers that challenge and interest them—or even start their own business—without having to worry about not being able to go to the doctor if they get sick. And employers will be free of the burden of huge insurance costs and related paperwork; all they’ll have to do is implement a single, standardized payroll tax. Unemployed people would be covered too (because they’re human).
Growing Generations
No person should have to choose between having a family and having a career. No parent should have to choose between their child’s safety and development and their own professional growth. By creating high-quality public childcare options, expanding childcare subsidies, and providing funding for and access to comprehensive care for children through age 16, we will support American families and future generations.
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