Will They Cooperate on Livelihood Bills... Starting with the Nursing Act and Jeonse Fraud Victim Support Act?

There is a growing sentiment in the political sphere that attention must be paid to people's livelihoods. This comes amid criticism that the ruling and opposition parties have been ignoring livelihood bills while engaging in extreme confrontations for over two months since the opening of the 22nd National Assembly. The ruling party has proposed negotiations with the opposition to address urgent livelihood issues. However, some opposition members insist that the excessive use of President Yoon Seok-yeol's veto power must be restricted first.

The People Power Party identified livelihood bills that could be handled through bipartisan agreement during the August extraordinary session, including the Nursing Act, the Special Act on Support for Victims of Jeonse Fraud, the K-Chips Act, and the Special Act on High-Level Radioactive Waste. Among these, they proposed prioritizing negotiations on the Nursing Act and the Special Act on Support for Victims of Jeonse Fraud, which have fewer disagreements between the parties.

The Nursing Act aims to reduce the dependence on residents by utilizing skilled personnel such as specialists and physician assistants (PAs) nurses. Although it was discussed last month in the Health and Welfare Committee's subcommittee, it failed to reach an agreement due to differences between the ruling and opposition parties. Both sides agree on specifying the scope of nurses' duties and improving their treatment. However, opinions diverge on the exact title of the bill and the institutionalization of the PA nurse system.

The Special Act on Support for Victims of Jeonse Fraud focuses on the method of compensating victims for their deposit losses. The Democratic Party initially favored a "rescue first, recover later" approach. This would involve an institution designated by presidential decree purchasing the deposit return claims to prioritize compensating victims first, then seeking reimbursement from landlords to cover the costs. However, the ruling party opposed this plan, fearing excessive fiscal burden and public backlash due to fairness concerns. Fortunately, the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee is forming a consensus between the parties on a plan to maximize compensation of Jeonse deposits through auction profits.

Chairman Presides Over Meeting of Floor Leaders of Two Major Parties
(Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Han Jong-chan = Woo Won-sik, Speaker of the National Assembly, is meeting with Choo Kyung-ho, floor leader of the People Power Party (left), and Park Chan-dae, acting party leader and floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea (right), in the Speaker's office on the afternoon of the 16th. 2024.7.16 [Joint Coverage]
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The Democratic Party also appears to be considering the burden caused by delays in processing livelihood bills. At a luncheon meeting chaired by Speaker Woo Won-shik the previous day, floor leaders of both parties left open the possibility of consultations at the National Assembly's standing committee level regarding the Nursing Act and the Special Act on Support for Victims of Jeonse Fraud. On the morning of the same day, Jin Sung-jun, the Democratic Party's Policy Committee Chair, said at a party strategy meeting, "Yesterday, Han Dong-hoon, the People Power Party leader, proposed bipartisan talks on livelihood bills such as electricity bill reductions for heat-vulnerable groups," adding, "To open the way for urgent livelihood solutions beyond just electricity bill reductions, we should form a discussion table between the policy committee chairs to start bipartisan negotiations."

However, there are variables. Some within the Democratic Party argue that before bipartisan agreement, there must be consensus on limiting President Yoon Seok-yeol's right to request reconsideration (veto power). An opposition lawmaker said, "The reckless use of veto power by the ruling party is blocking the prompt handling of urgent livelihood bills," adding, "We must not attempt to change the situation without cooperation."

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