This week the House Ways and Means Committee will hold a hearing on a critical issue for working families: paid family and medical leave. While there have been champions on this issue for years, including sponsors of key legislation like Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), we commend other members of Congress, presidential candidates, and leaders across movements who now realize the urgency of this moment: The time and the opportunity for paid leave for all is now.
The United States is one of the only countries in the world that doesn’t guarantee paid leave. In the wealthiest country in the world, it’s scandalous that nearly 1 in 4 mothers return to work within two weeks of giving birth and 1 in 5 retirees left or forced to leave the workforce earlier than planned to care for an ill family member.
The above excerpt was originally published in The Hill.
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