Senator Bernie Sanders' proposal to change working hours for millions of Americans for the first time in 84 years is receiving support from many Republicans, according to a new poll.
Sanders, an independent senator representing Vermont, last week introduced a bill that would establish a 32-hour work week across the United States, while mandating that workers do not lose pay. If this bill becomes law, it would change the standard work week for the first time since 1940, when Congress enacted the 40-hour work week.
A new poll released Monday from the progressive-leaning pollster Data for Progress found broad support for his bill, including from many Republicans.
The survey asked 1,196 likely U.S. voters whether they support the bill because it will "reduce stress levels and allow Americans to enjoy a better quality of life" or if they oppose it because "it will reduce worker productivity and business revenue."
According to the poll, 57 percent of respondents said they support the bill, while only 34 percent oppose it. The poll also found a significant number, though still a minority, of Republicans supporting the bill.
Support for Sanders' bill among Republicans is nearly split down the middle, with only a narrow plurality opposing the progressive legislation. Forty-four percent of Republican respondents said they support Sanders' bill, while 49 percent oppose it, the poll found.
Meanwhile, 69 percent of Democrats and 58 percent of independents support a 32-hour work week, while 24 percent of Democrats and 31 percent of independents oppose it, according to the survey. The poll was conducted from March 15 to 17 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Newsweek reached out to Sanders' office for comment via email.
Republican lawmakers, meanwhile, have voiced criticism of the bill. Senator Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican, said he believes such legislation would have negative economic impacts during an interview on Fox Business last week.
"You increase the cost of labor, which means that companies are more likely to automate. They're more likely to move overseas their operations for cheaper labor costs. And lastly, it contributes to inflation," Cassidy said.
Sanders said moving toward a 32-hour work week would be an "important step" in making sure that workers benefit from a "massive increase" in productivity, which reached a record high in 2023.
"Today, American workers are over 400 percent more productive than they were in the 1940s. And yet, millions of Americans are working longer hours for lower wages than they were decades ago. That has got to change," Sanders said in a press release.
The 32-hour workweek bill is being introduced with California Senator Laphonza Butler, a Democrat, as a co-sponsor. Representative Mark Takano, also a California Democrat, will introduce the bill in the House of Representatives. It remains unknown whether more moderate Democrats would support his legislation.
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Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. ... Read more
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