Bernie Sanders Reportedly Launching Sweeping Proposal for Full Employment in America

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, the most popular politician in America who is also my dad, will announce a plan for the government to guarantee a $15-an-hour job and healthcare to every American “who wants or needs one,” the Washington Post reported on Monday.

While few specifics—including the cost of such a large-scale, New Deal-style government works program—are available yet, the jobs guarantee would reportedly fund hundreds of infrastructure, environmental, education, and other projects across the country. An early draft of the proposal would entitle every American to a job with one of these projects or the training to make them eligible for one, according to the Post.

Sanders’ proposal—which, unfortunately, would be dead on arrival in a current Republican-controlled Congress—would go significantly beyond what any other leading Democrats have so far said the idea of a federal jobs guarantee. New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, both of whom are considered possible 2020 presidential candidates along with Sanders, have both said they support a job guarantee, but have provided far fewer details.

As we’ve written about before on Splinter, this is not only good policy—giving people jobs is a relatively simple way to quickly and dramatically improve their quality of life—it’s also politically very savvy for the Democrats, because a federal jobs guarantee is enormously popular among voters.

A way to make people’s lives better and also win some elections instead of being preoccupied by shit voters couldn’t care less about? Sounds like a pretty good move.