Pelosi adds 4 weeks of paid family and medical leave back into social spending bill

In her Dear Colleague letter announcing the decision, Pelosi said paid family and medical leave are being added back into the bill, but also says she is committed to only passing a bill in the House that can also pass the Senate.

"(Because) we must have legislation agreed to by the House and the Senate in the final version of the Build Back Better Act that we will send to the President's desk, we must strive to find common ground in the legislation," Pelosi writes. "As we are reviewing priorities and at the urging of many Members of the Caucus, I have asked the Ways and Means Committee for its legislation for Paid Family and Medical Leave to be included in this morning's hearing."

Pelosi also says that there will be a Rules committee hearing later Wednesday on the bill, known as the Build Back Better Act.

Democrats had previously scrapped the family leave provision after failing to reach a compromise with key moderate Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who had several objections to the measure.

It's unclear whether this means a new agreement with Manchin has been reached, especially considering Pelosi's direct acknowledgment in her letter that Democrats "must strive to find common ground in the legislation."

Last week, Manchin made clear he would not budge on his position on the provision, telling reporters, "I just can't do it."

The decision from Pelosi, given Manchin's previously stated position, suggests she is shifting her strategy of only having a bill that can pass both the House and Senate.

"It had been my intention throughout this process to put on the House Floor and pass a bill that would pass the Senate in the same form."

Adding a version of paid family and medical leave back into the package brings back to life a central plank of President Joe Biden's initial proposal, and comes as Democrats try to unify over their messaging after suffering a significant loss in the Virginia governor's race.

Pelosi has said she wanted the House to vote on the economic agenda bill and a separate bipartisan infrastructure bill, that has already passed the Senate, by the end of this week.

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