Connecticut’s two Democratic U.S. Senators say President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better plan would combat the country’s worker shortage.
Chris Murphy, the state’s junior U.S. Senator, said the skilled worker shortage in Connecticut and across the country is complicated. But many of the programs in the Build Back Better plan would help.
“I don’t think it would solve it completely, but it’s the best legislative tool we have in order to get people back into the workforce and help employers. That plus immigration reform,” Murphy said.
Richard Blumenthal, the state’s senior U.S. Senator, is confident a deal would be reached soon though the price tag would be far less than the original $3.5 trillion.
“There is a lot of consensus on the needs and I am more optimistic than ever in the last six months that we are heading across the finish line within days not weeks or months,” he said.
The Democrats said the Build Back Better plan would help parents return to work by lowering the cost of child care and the cost of caring for seniors.
The senators are also encouraged that Biden has endorsed getting rid of the filibuster for certain legislation.
“I think the president’s position matters on this. I think if the president is not in support of changing the rules of the Senate it is hard to imagine how you get that done,” said Murphy, who has never supported the filibuster because he says it's undemocratic.
Blumenthal said he’s hopeful Senate Democratic holdouts would change their mind on the filibuster now that Biden has made his position on the matter clear.
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