Democrats paid sick leave bill was all performance.

Splitting the imposed settlement and the paid sick leave into two separate bills ensured defeat.

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“Unbelievably, if a worker today in the railroad industry gets sick, that worker gets a mark for missing work and, in some cases, will be fired. Can you imagine that?” said Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.

When President Biden and Speaker Nancy Pelosi worked to pass a bill imposing a settlement on the rail unions, Bernie argued that at least the key issue of paid sick leave for rail workers should be included in the bill.

In the House Speaker Pelosi was pressed hard by some progressives and responded by having her House pass a separate bill addressing paid leave.

But having it as a separate bill ensured it would end up in the trash.

It was all performance. By splitting the issues of a forced settlement and paid sick leave Pelosi knew paid sick leave would never get the 60 votes in the Senate to pass.

And as a bonus she could blame it on the Republicans.

Only eight House Democrats broke ranks and voted against the anti-union forced settlement because it did not include paid sick leave.

Voting\ no were Democratic Reps. Judy Chu (Calif.), Mark DeSaulnier (Calif.), Jared Golden (Maine), Donald Norcross (N.J.), Mary Peltola (Alaska), Mark Pocan (Wis.), Rashida Tlaib (Mich.) and Norma Torres (Calif.).

Take note of which so-called progressive Dems are not on that list.

In the Senate Bernie also voted no to the final bill when it failed to include paid sick leave.

Pelosi and Biden knew the Republicans in the Senate would kill paid sick leave.

They counted on it.

Pelosi was not unaware thatSenate Republicans have a record of opposing paid sick leave.

When Biden included it in his $1.7 trillion climate and social spending bill Biden pulled it because of Republican opposition and because of Democratic Senator Joe Manchin’s opposition.

By splitting off sick leave, ensuring its defeat, the rail company’s saved a ton of money.

Warren Buffett, the CEO of BNSF Railway’s parent company saw his wealth jump by nearly $1.4 billion in a single day earlier this week.

That would cover the cost of paid sick leave for rail workers.