by Will Marshall, PPI President
The Congressional Budget Office has dealt another blow to progressive hopes for swift action to raise the U.S. minimum wage to $15 an hour. It released a new study this week estimating that while the wage hike would lift 900,000 Americans out of poverty, it also would cost 1.4 million workers their jobs.
Liberal economists challenged the job loss figures, calling CBO’s methodology outdated. But the report feeds growing doubts that Senate Democrats will be able to shoehorn the measure into the big relief bill they hope to pass under “reconciliation” rules that allow for a simple majority vote. That means Republicans could filibuster it to death. But there is a solution to getting Americans a raise.
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☑New From The Experts
> The Future of Federal Work
Ever since workers moved from the office to online in March of 2020, there's been much ado about the future of work. Will it ever be the same? A new paper from PPI makes the case to find opportunity in uncertainty, and encourages federal agencies to keep their workforce largely remote beyond the pandemic. → The Case for a More Distributed Federal Workforce
> Changing the Rules on Antitrust
Senator Amy Klobuchar released a draft of antitrust legislation she'll be introducing as the new Chair of the Senate's Antitrust Subcommittee, and PPI's Director of Technology Policy Alec Stapp weighs in. Both applause and pause are in order, he says. → PPI Statement on Senator Klobuchar's Proposed Antitrust Legislation
> The National Apprentice Act
PPI commends the House of Representatives for passing this important legislative step to supporting new pathways to employment. With the pandemic-induced loss of millions of jobs, apprenticeships will be a vital step in re-employing Americans. → PPI Statement on the National Apprenticeship Act of 2021
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> ICYMI: Congresswoman Suzan DelBene on the PPI Podcast talks America Building Back Better, the New Democrat Coalition
PPI President Will Marshall welcomes Representative Suzan DelBene of Washington State's First District to this episode of the PPI Podcast. The two discuss the Republican party's identity crisis, the issue of Marjorie Taylor Greene, and the need for the GOP to come to the table on a broad relief package. → "Let's Get to Yes" with Will Marshall
> Testing ≠ Accountability
How do you measure success? For American schools, there's an evolving debate on the right way to do that –– whether it's by standardized testing or a more holistic approach. In a new op-ed, Director of Reinventing America's Schools David Osborne puts forth his vision for how to rate and hold schools accountable. → "States Still Rely Too Heavily on Test Scores to Hold Schools Accountable. Here's a Better Way for Them to Break It All Down," by David Osborne, The 74
> Justice > Politics
The Republican Party has been ruthless in its pursuit of building a conservative judiciary, and some Democrats want revenge. Calls to pack the courts started in October with the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, but PPI's Phil Goldberg warns it. "The integrity of the courts," he says, "is what matters most." → "Biden's Commission on the Judiciary Must Put Justice Over Politics," by Phil Goldberg, The Hill
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