Don Space Force back on radar
Part of tentative deal on parental leave
More than 2 million federal workers would get 12 weeks paid family leave under a tentative spending deal struck by congressional leaders that would also create President Trump’s Space Force.
The proposed compromise defense spending bill would give Democrats a major expansion of benefits to 2.1 million federal workers, who now have to take unpaid leave to care for a newborn or adopted child.
In exchange, Trump would win the establishment of a new military wing for outer space that would operate under the umbrella of the Air Force. The president sees the Space Force as a major part of his legacy.
The deal, which was first reported by the Wall Street Journal late Friday, is still tentative. It would have to pass both the Democratic House of Representatives and the GOP-led Senate, where conservatives may demand major changes or even derail the deal.
The agreement is significant because it comes even as
Democrats and the White House are bitterly feuding over the ongoing impeachment drama.
Both sides may seek to take credit for setting aside their dispute to reach agreements on unrelated issues. Trump has argued that impeachment-happy Democrats are neglecting their responsibility to pass legislation, while Democrats say they have passed hundreds of bills only to see them die in the “legislative graveyard” of the Senate.
It comes after extensive behind-the-scenes battling on the annual defense measure, which has passed Congress every year since the Kennedy administration.
The parental leave provision is a victory for federal workers, who would face benefit cuts under Trump’s other budget submissions.
The parental leave issue is a priority for Democrats including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who weighed in forcefully on the issue this week. Republicans have long opposed such benefits as giveaways to a group that leans Democratic at the expense of taxpayers.
Ivanka Trump, the president’s daughter and adviser, has changed the dynamic a bit by strongly advocating for better family leave provisions.
The First Daughter tweeted Friday that the tentative deal would mark a “HUGE step forward towards making paid leave a reality for all Americans.”
Numerous details regarding the space force program remain to be worked out and funding for the program would be delivered through separate spending legislation that’s also taking shape behind the scenes.