Democrats Seek To Enact Paid Family Leave
Effort would make permanent paid leave now granted during the pandemic
A group of congressional women has launched an effort to pass a universal, comprehensive paid family and medical leave policy as part of the upcoming Build Back Better spending package.
Democratic Reps Ayanna Pressley (Mass), Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa), Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn) and Judy Chu (D-Calif), are leading the effort. Nearly 100 lawmakers have joined the effort, which it's leaders say is a testament to the energy behind paid medical leave as a national priority.
“As we work to rebuild our economy, we must address structural inequities that were major drivers of crisis and economic instability in the pandemic,” wrote the lawmakers in a letter to House leadership. “Investments in care infrastructure and policies that support workers, such as paid leave, are critical to an equitable recovery for all workers. The American Rescue Plan laid important groundwork for lasting, equitable change and delivered results for America’s women and families. We look forward to expanding those investments to rebuild our country’s care infrastructure, including with universal, comprehensive paid family and medical leave.”
Before the pandemic, the federal government mandated only unpaid medical leave.
“Universal and permanent paid leave is a matter of public health, racial, gender, economic and disability justice,” said Rep. Pressley in a statement alongside the letter. “We owe it to our workers and families nationwide to invest in paid leave as the critical infrastructure that it is, and I am grateful to Congresswomen Houlahan, DeLauro and Chu for their partnership in this fight.”
Paid medical leave is critical even beyond the current pandemic emergency, the lawmakers said.
“Beyond an emergency response to the pandemic, paid family leave remains a vital need as we get our country back to work, especially for the women of America who have been forced out of the workforce in unprecedented numbers,” said Rep. Chu. “Parents need to have the flexibility to take care of themselves or their families when they’re sick and not risk their safety, their coworkers’ safety, or their own careers. I’m proud to join this call for a robust paid family leave policy that works for our families and our economy.”
In May 2020, Pressley and Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich) led a group of 17 freshman members of Congress calling on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to expand paid family and medical leave as part of the HEROES Act.
Pressley, DeLauro and Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Patty Murray (D-Wash) in January sent a letter urging the incoming Biden administration and congressional leadership to extend and expand the COVID-19 emergency paid leave provisions that expired at the end of last year.
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