IFPTE Urges House to Pass Budget Resolution and Commence Work on "Once-in-a-Generation" Investment in Infrastructure, Workers, and Communities
Ahead of next week's vote in the House of Representatives, IFPTE requested the House pass a $3.5 trillion budget resolution along the lines of the resolution passed by the Senate on August 11th.
The letter notes that "The House’s consideration of their budget reconciliation bill in conjunction with the Senate-passed bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (H.R. 3684, as amended) presents a once-in-a-generation chance to fix our nation’s longstanding infrastructure deficit, provide high-quality union jobs and opportunities to Americans in every Congressional district, and enhances our nation’s ability to compete in the global economy."
Priorities listed in the letter include:
Transit, Public Services, and Education investments, including transit modernization, public housing and community investment, tuition-free community college and at least two years of universal Pre-K, school infrastructure, funding for community health centers, and expanding and improving child nutrition programs.
Financing Through Fair Tax Policies, including eliminating corporate tax breaks that encourage offshoring of jobs and profits, raising the top corporate tax rate to 28%, establishing a 15% minimum corporate tax rate, enacting a financial transaction tax, enacting a 2% wealth tax for households and trusts with a net worth over $50 million, as well as relief for working families through repealing the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction limit and extending the Child Tax Credit.
Federal Buildings, Facilities, and Cybersecurity Infrastructure investments, improvements, rehabilitation, and health and safety-related measures including funds for upgrades to the Navy’s public shipyards, NASA centers, immigration court and federal administrative adjudicatory hearing rooms and offices, Army Corps of Engineers buildings and infrastructure, and federal cybersecurity investments and services.
Energy Infrastructure, Clean Energy, and Climate Research investments, including support for nuclear and hydroelectric energy, efficient electricity transmission infrastructure, research and development in lowering emissions in transportation, increased federal climate science research, and equitable environmental remediation in affected communities.
Domestic Manufacturing and Buy America Procurement policies, including investments needed to make sure U.S. advanced manufacturing and clean energy industries are globally competitive and come with prevailing wage and high labor standards, coordinated federal R&D and Buy American federal procurement policies, federal procurement to support resilient domestic supply chains, and prohibiting offshoring of manufacturing, energy, research, and strategic industries.
Labor Enforcement and Protection of Inherently Governmental Work, including prohibiting companies from claiming tax deductions for unionbusting expenses, repealing the “safe harbor” rule that shields employers from taxes and penalties for misclassifying employees as independent contractors, adding new monetary penalties under the NLRA for employer violations to be paid to the federal government, and restoring tax deductions for union members’ dues. Further, provisions for federal grants should require recipients to refrain from engaging in anti-union activities, including receiving assistance from union avoidance consultants, with the penalty that grants must be returned to the federal entity. Additionally, this bill should include provisions that are included in The PRO Act, aimed at leveling the playing field for workers involved in union organizing drives. Finally, we urge inclusion of language to protect and preserve the role of inherently governmental work in the federal, state, and local public service.
Paid Family and Medical Leave for all workers, including the addition of the Comprehensive Paid Leave for Federal Employees Act to the reconciliation bill.
Medicare Drug Price Negotiation, Medicare Expansion, and Long-Term Care, including offering Medicare dental, vision, and hearing benefits, an out-of-pocket Medicare cap, lowering the Medicare eligibility age, and long-term care for seniors and disabled persons.
Pathway to Citizenship for DACA and TPS Eligible Immigrants in order to allow these immigrants the protection of labor laws, the right to to participate in our democracy, and the ability to contribute fully to our communities and economy.
Download a PDF of IFPTE’s letter to the House of Representatives here.