Sanders pushes for 4-day work week

The U.S. Senate held a hearing Thursday on the need for a 32-hour work week with no loss in pay.

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) - The future:  it was supposed to be flying cars and a 32-hour work week.  Still no sight of the flying cars, but the U.S. Senate held a hearing Thursday on "The need for a 32-hour work week with no loss in pay." 

The hearing only lasted about an hour and a half, but some senators said their priority was just to bring attention to an issue that hasn't seen action in Congress in decades.

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders said it's time to cut down the number of hours Americans are allowed to work weekly.

"In fact, the last time, as we understand it, the Senate held a hearing on the subject was in the year 1955,” said Sanders.

With advancements in technology Sanders said a 32-hour work week should be the norm with many working Americans now more productive than ever.

"Despite an explosion as we all know in technology and a massive increase in worker productivity, nothing has changed," said Sanders.

Despite his push, Republicans like Indiana Senator Mike Braun, fear a federal mandate would crush small businesses.

"I'm not worried about big corporations. They're generally going to land on their feet anyway but what about Main Street and small businesses?" Braun asked.

Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy said many small businesses don't rely on AI or other new technologies so their employees would be forced to work overtime to get the same job done costing the small business more money.

"A mom-and-pop restaurant is not really seeing increased productivity from AI. They're having enough trouble finding people to fill shifts," Cassidy said.

Cassidy also noted there is no law in place stopping companies who want to implement a 32-hour work week on their own.

Sen. Sanders said President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the "Fair Labor Standards Act" in 1940 that established the 40-hour workweek that we know today.