WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Charles E. Schumer, and U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Patty Murray (D-WA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) to unveil comprehensive paid family and medical leave legislation and challenge President Trump to support it since he has previously endorsed the concept of paid leave. The Senators’ comprehensive proposal, the FAMILY Act, would provide up to 12 weeks of paid leave for workers who need time to care for a newborn or adopted child, a seriously ill family member, or their own serious health condition. Video of the Senator’s remarks are available here.
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“Paid leave is deeply personal to me,” said Senator Duckworth. “When I was wounded in Iraq, my husband was let go from his job after he used all of his unpaid leave to be by my hospital bedside. Fortunately, the American people continued to pay my salary while I was hospitalized as a wounded soldier, which enabled him to take the time to care for me. However, many hardworking families cannot afford to take time off to care for a sick loved one and that hurts us as a nation. We need to expand paid leave for all Americans. If the President is serious about keeping his campaign promises to help working families, I urge him to support this bill.”
The FAMILY Act is modeled after existing state programs and would:
- Provide up to 12 weeks of paid leave for serious personal or family member’s medical condition;
- Provide 66% wage replacement, capped at $4,000 a month;
- Be self-funded through contributions by employers and employees of just two-tenths of 1% each (two cents per $10 in wages), or about $4 a week for the typical employee.
