Fresh off an electoral beating, Democrats quickly mobilized to snuff out a "tone deaf" proposal to reduce the work week for Capitol Hill staffers to 32 hours.
The Congressional Progressive Staff Association sent a letter to congressional leaders this week complaining of "demanding and intensive" conditions and suggesting a shorter week to reduce turnover on the Hill.
"Whether by drafting and analyzing legislation, meeting with impassioned advocates, communicating with constituents and the media, or smoothly administering office operations, D.C. staff are often required to manage a cascade of sensitive and challenging projects at any given time," the association wrote. "Staffers routinely work long hours at a level of rigor that regularly leads to burnout."
Few Democrats jumped to embrace the proposal, which comes as many Americans are working longer hours to keep up with soaring costs.
Even Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Ma.), a champion of the hard left, dismissed the demands for a shorter week as a "terrible idea."
“But do understand most of my staff hasn't seen a 32-hour work week in months and months and months, because they come in and work for the American people, hour after hour after hour," she said.
Economic woes helped fuel Donald Trump's re-election in November, leaving Democrats adrift as many conclude the party has lost touch with regular Americans.
Democrats, reluctant to further damage their party's brand, quickly distanced themselves from the progressive clamor for lighter hours.
"Why not be bold and ask for a 0-hour workweek? I wonder how blue-collar Americans would feel about white-collar workers demanding a 32-hour workweek,” Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-Ny.) wrote.
Socialist Senator Bernie Sanders (Vt.) proposed standardizing a 32-hour work week for Americans last year, but the proposal has gained little traction.
In their letter to Congress, the Congressional Progressive Staff Association suggested their reduced hours would help build momentum for applying the same standards across the U.S. economy.
But they retracted the proposal within 24 hours as backlash came in.
“The letter failed to make two things clear: First, that progressive congressional staff are dedicated to serving the American people no matter how many hours it takes to get the job done,” the Congressional Progressive Staff Association (CPSA) said.
“Second, that there are well-known, longstanding workplace issues that deserve Congress’s immediate attention if it wishes to effectively serve the people.”
