Paid Leave Allies Mull Fallback Options as Cost Pressures Mount

Supporters of House Democrats’ plan to create a nationwide paid family and medical leave program are girding for a battle over possible cuts to the proposal as pressure builds to trim the price tag of the party’s sprawling social spending and tax package.

Longtime proponents of paid leave say the Covid-19 pandemic laid bare the need for a robust, permanent program that’s available to as many workers as possible. But President Joe Biden said Monday that he expects the budget reconciliation legislation at the heart of his domestic agenda to come in between $1.9 trillion and $2.2 trillion, requiring ...