Gallego rolls out ambitious plan to insulate workers against AI
The Arizona Democratic senator talked about his agenda with Semafor — but demurred on how he’ll handle 2028.
Senator Ruben Gallego has unveiled an extensive policy agenda aimed at addressing the rapid changes in the American workforce brought about by the AI boom. The Arizona Democrat is set to reveal his ambitious plan on Wednesday, as his Democratic Party fights for control of Congress in the upcoming midterm elections. Gallego's proposal seeks to raise the minimum wage and overtime pay while imposing taxes on data centers and automated jobs.
He also plans to create a federal public works program to ensure American workers can cope with AI's impact. Gallego recognizes that the public is concerned about their hard work not yielding benefits, particularly as AI becomes more prevalent in their lives. He aims to address these concerns by proposing a 10% excise tax on data center revenues, an end to tax incentives for such projects, and a "robot tax" to discourage job losses due to automation.
The senator's plan, which invokes his roots in Arizona, covers almost all aspects of the American economy, but is primarily focused on the wage disparity that has left millions of Americans feeling that the "American dream is slipping away." Gallego is ready to use the power of Democratic authority to pass his proposals through a party-line budget reconciliation bill.
He also suggests that Democrats should not be afraid to challenge the Senate parliamentarian if a minimum wage hike or other policy is ruled ineligible for reconciliation.
Written by urgent.news from Semafor's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
