Manchin singlehandedly denied families paid leave. Why would a Democrat oppose such a basic measure?

[Celerity]

9. Manchin is full of (fill in the blank) & once again he is hurting the poorest workers & PoC the most

claims small business can't afford it

The federal government pays them for it ($225 billion was in the Biden BBB Act proposal, and that was for 12 weeks, not 4), and all that payout was 100% covered by tax increases on the ultra wealthy and large corporations


Cutting paid leave hurts low-wage workers the most

Just 8 percent of low-wage workers have access to paid family leave, compared to 20 percent of all workers.

https://www.vox.com/2021/10/29/22749595/paid-leave-sick-parental-leave-biden-build-back-better-bill

As it weighs what to keep in the budget bill, Congress is poised to abandon plans for a comprehensive paid family leave program yet again. Had the proposal been included, it would have brought low-wage workers — many of whom have no access to paid leave — a major new benefit.

The US is the only industrialized country that doesn’t guarantee workers paid leave, a gap that hits low-wage workers the hardest. According to a 2020 survey by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, just 8 percent of low-wage workers (people making less than $683 a week, or roughly $35,516 per year) have access to paid family leave, compared to 20 percent of all workers and 33 percent of higher-wage workers. And 49 percent of low-wage workers have paid sick leave, compared to the 75 percent of workers overall and 92 percent of higher-wage workers who have access to the benefit.

Racial disparities persist for leave policies as well: 43 percent of Black workers and 25 percent of Latino workers have access to paid parental leave compared to 50 percent of white workers, according to a 2012 study from the Center for American Progress. A lack of access to leave also has a more significant impact on women, who take on the majority of caregiving responsibilities for children and sick family members.

Advocates for paid family and sick leave emphasize that the program is critical for improving women’s retention in the workplace, children’s health care outcomes, and bonding between parents and children. It also ensures that people don’t have to choose between their wages and caring for a family member, a dynamic that can force people to drop out of the workforce altogether.