The Congressional Progressive Staff Association (CPSA), which represents around 1,500 staffers working for members of Congress, announced on Friday that it had withdrawn an open letter urging congressional leadership to adopt a rotating 32-hour workweek.
Despite immediate criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike, they initially resisted pressures to drop the initiative.
“The frustration about this initiative comes from a fundamental misunderstanding. CPSA is not calling for Congress to jeopardize its productivity with a new office schedule. We believe — and researchers agree — that implementing a rotating 32-hour work week will not maintain existing levels of productivity and work quality, but increase them,” said group spokesperson Michael Suchecki.
This proposed pilot program, originally pitched as a way to boost efficiency, especially in constituent services and outreach, would not have included a pay cut but would have seen staff working reduced hours during both the district work periods and Congressional sessions. While CPSA claimed that a shortened workweek would lead to more “effective and efficient” staffers, many were skeptical of their claims, and the public outcry had the potential to backfire tremendously.
To state the obvious: if you want to work only 32 hours a week, Congress is not the place for you to get a paycheck. https://t.co/3gTJ4PKdfC
— Matt Wolking (@MattWolking) January 16, 2025
Proving once again that progressives are worthless and useless. Americans are working 2 jobs to make ends meet and these people want to work less for the same pay. There’s a reason they keep losing support.
— Savannah (@BasedSavannah) January 16, 2025
The backlash, had the proposal moved forward, would likely have been swift and intense. Congressional approval ratings are historically low, often dipping below 20% in recent years. Many Americans distrust Congress, perceiving lawmakers and their staff as disconnected from the struggles of ordinary people. As the nation faces rising inflation, sky-high housing costs, and ever-worsening job insecurity, the idea of a three-day workweek for the very people charged with shaping national policy would have likely stoked the perception that Congress is lazy, out of touch, and cheating the American people.
At a time when many Americans are forced to work multiple jobs just to cover basic expenses, the optics of elected officials and their staff reducing hours could have been a public relations disaster.
The optics of Congress decreasing their working hours — led by progressives — would have also sent a troubling message to left-wing voters, hoping to see their representatives challenge the Trump administration.
In their official withdrawal, the group insisted that, “there are well-known, longstanding workplace issues that deserve Congress’s immediate attention if it wishes to effectively serve the people” but added “there are myriad ways Congress can address these issues. Right now, a 32-hour workweek for staff will not be one of them.” The statement continued, “We are ready to continue the urgent task of serving our bosses’ constituents and advancing the causes that put working-class people first.”
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These so-called ‘progressives’ should be limited to a one-hour work week with only one hour’s pay to limit the damage they do.