Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) recently unveiled his economic reform proposals, which he calls "Saving the Middle Class and Restoring the American Dream."
Gallego's Agenda
Sen. Gallego's program rests on five key policy areas, the first of which focuses on workers.
Specifically, proposals focusing on workers include raising the minimum wage to $20 an hour and doubling overtime, promoting sectoral bargaining between unions and employers (thereby increasing membership), and creating an Office of Worker Empowerment and an Office of Worker Advocacy.
The second key area of focus is industry: repealing the tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, pursuing a strategic trade policy to counter China, and creating an Industrial Policy Council.
Third, Sen. Gallego wants to address artificial intelligence (AI) by creating a program that funds jobs that let AI-displaced workers serve the public, funded by taxing AI. Additionally, AI companies and workers would have to negotiate over AI, and a corporate "robot" tax would discourage job dislocation and maintain company payroll contributions for jobs automated away.
The fourth pillar focuses on promoting small business growth by taxing data centers and modernizing antitrust laws.
Finally, "ghost jobs," job postings that companies do not intend to actually fill, would be outlawed, and companies would be required to provide laid-off workers with 120-day notice in the event of a mass layoff or closure.
What Gallego is Saying
"For far too long, we've had a broken economy where hard work just isn't nearly enough. The federal government let giant corporations, billionaires, and elites write the rules, and we're living with the results: costs have soared, wages have stalled, and jobs have left. This bipartisan, failed status quo must end," the Arizona Senator said in a press release. "Working-class Americans aren't asking for handouts. They don't resent anyone else's success — they just want a fair system. Work hard enough, and you should be able to get ahead, provide for your kids, take a vacation, and even get rich."
