Rep. Jamaal Bowman Slams Manchin’s ‘Completely Unacceptable’ Opposition to Paid Family Leave: ‘He’s Regurgitating Talking Points From the 1980s’

Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) reacted strongly to the news that Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) has succeeded in getting paid family leave removed from President Joe Biden's dwindling Build Back Better bill.

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Manchin, who had months to take a hard line against the policy, waited mere days before a scheduled House vote to put his foot down and demand the provision de dropped from the bill. A last-ditch effort to convince Manchin to support the measure failed on Wednesday.

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With the Senate tied 50-50, Democrats need all their members to vote for the bill to pass through budget reconciliation, plus Vice President Kamala Harris to cast the deciding vote, as no Republicans are expected to vote for the bill.

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On the House side, progressives have become increasingly irked at the measures being stripped from the bill in order to appease Manchin. Some have said they won't vote for a Senate-passed $1.5 trillion bipartisan infrastructure deal until text is finalized on the reconciliation bill.

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Noting the removal of paid family leave, CNN's Don Lemon asked Bowman on Wednesday night, "If that's out, are you in?"

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"That remains to be determined," said Bowman. "We're the only developed country in the world that does not have paid family leave. We were supposed to be at 12 weeks. It went down to four weeks and now it's out even though the majority of the country supports paid family leave. It's archaic. It's inhumane to ask a mom or new parents to leave their child in child care while they have to go back to work to try to earn a living and keep a roof over their heads."

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Bowman then turned to Manchin.

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"It's unfortunate that we have a minority senator, one person who opposes this where the majority of the country supports it. So for me, it's unacceptable."

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Lemon asked Bowman if he had heard from Manchin or understood his reasons for opposing paid leave.

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"I personally have not heard from him," responded Bowman. "The [Congressional Progressive Caucus] has not heard from him. And I don't quite understand why he doesn't support it. He seems to be, and he has portrayed himself to be someone pro-family. And if you're pro-family, you're pro-children. If you're pro-children, we should have paid family leave as a developed nation, as the wealthiest nation on Earth."

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Bowman said that "it's completely unacceptable" that the U.S. isn't providing for paid family leave.

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"The only sort of rationale that I've heard from Manchin is 'entitlement mentality,'" he said. "You know, he seems to be regurgitating talking points from the 1980s when we are existing in a 21st century multiracial democracy that's going through a climate crisis trying to recover from Covid. Building back better is building back better for all people including poor people, people of color, and those who trying to start families."

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Lemon again asked Bowman if he would vote for the bill.

"Again," said the congressman, "It remains to be seen."