02.01.23

ICYMI: Ahead of 30th Anniversary of FMLA, Democratic Lawmakers Hold Press Conference Unveiling Legislative Package To Establish Paid Leave And Expand And Modernize FMLA

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), along with Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Tina Smith (D-MN) and U.S. Representatives Richie Neal (D-MA), Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA), Sean Casten (D-IL), and Lauren Underwood (D-IL) held a press conference ahead of the 30th anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to announce a legislative package to establish a paid family and medical leave program and expand and modernize the FMLA. A livestream of the event can be viewed here.

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) has helped employees balance their work and family responsibilities by allowing them to take reasonable unpaid leave for certain family and medical reasons. While the program has been greatly successful, there are still barriers to access and more must be done to cater to the current reality of working Americans. The need for improvements is evident, and a paid program must be created.

DeLauro and Gillibrand are the authors of the FAMILY Act, their signature legislation to establish America’s first national paid family and medical leave program. The FAMILY Act would ensure that every worker, no matter the size of their employer or if they are self-employed or part-time, has access to paid leave for every serious medical event, every time it is needed. DeLauro and Gillibrand's FAMILY Act is modeled on successful state programs.

To ensure FMLA meets workers where they are now, lawmakers have proposed a series of reforms. Senator Tammy Duckworth and Congressman Sean Casten are the authors of the Education Support Professionals (ESP) Family Leave Act, legislation which would ensure that education support professionals who keep our schools running effectively for our children have access to unpaid leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act benefits.

Senator Tina Smith and Congresswoman Lauren Underwood are the sponsors of the Job Protection Act, legislation that would close gaps in FMLA coverage and strengthen the law by expanding protections to workers for smaller employers, protecting part-time workers, and ensuring those changing jobs or returning to the workforce will be able to access leave.

“Today, we celebrate almost 30 years of the Family and Medical Leave Act (or F-M-L-A), which has been a lifeline for millions for workers and families. This anniversary is a time to celebrate these accomplishments, but it is also an occasion to meet the needs of workers who have been left behind,” said Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), House Committee on Education and the Workforce. “We must ensure all workers are able to care for their families or themselves without worrying about losing their jobs or their income. As the Ranking Member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, I look forward to working my colleagues to finally adopt a sensible paid leave policy.”

“Thirty years ago, lawmakers came together to establish the FMLA, guaranteeing that workers who needed to take leave for a family or medical emergency would have a job to return to once they had recovered,” said DeLauro. “While that was a critical starting point, more work remains to be done to meet the current reality of working Americans. That is why since 2013, I have introduced the FAMILY Act, to establish the nation’s first comprehensive paid family and medical leave program. If it is good enough for government officials, it is good enough for the American people.”

“No one should ever have to decide between caring for a loved one and earning a paycheck,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Yet every day, too many Americans are forced to make that impossible choice. As we near the 30th anniversary of the FMLA, it’s more clear than ever that we need a comprehensive national paid leave program. Paid family and medical leave lets workers take the time they need to recover from a serious illness or care for a sick child or loved one - all without the risk of losing their jobs. It strengthens our economy and our families and makes our country more competitive on the global stage. This is a commonsense program that is long overdue. I’ve been fighting for universal paid leave for a decade in Congress and I’m more committed than ever to seeing it through and making paid leave available to every American.”

“While 30 years ago, the FMLA’s passage marked a huge step forward for our country, the truth is that the law didn’t go far enough,” Senator Duckworth said. “It’s unacceptable that over 40 percent of American workers still aren’t covered by this policy, including 2.7 million educational support professionals. This is a crisis for working families, and it’s a crisis that must be rectified immediately. That’s one reason why I’m proud to introduce my ESP and School Support Staff Family Leave Act, which would help make sure that more of our schools’ employees—including the bus drivers who get them to school safely every morning and the nurses who bandage our kids’ knees after recess—can finally access the basic, hard-earned benefits that they’ve long earned and deserved.”

“Parents should not have to choose between taking care of a newborn or a sick family member and losing a paycheck or worry about getting fired,” said Senator Smith. “As the only industrialized country without paid time off for new parents or sick workers, it is long past time we pass legislation to catch up to the rest of the world and update and modernize the landmark Family and Medical Leave Act. I won’t stop working until we get this done.”

“Thirty years ago, I proudly voted three times to make the Family and Medical Leave Act the law of the land,” Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal said. “Since then, this achievement has supported workers and helped businesses retain talent. The American worker has shown us just how resilient they are over the last three years, but it’s past time the Congress shows them that we see their reality, and we have their back. That’s why last Congress, the Ways and Means Committee was the first-ever Congressional Committee to include 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave to every worker. With history on our side, Ways and Means Democrats won’t stop fighting until we deliver paid family and medical leave for all.”

“The Family Medical Leave Act has helped countless families over the past 30 years. No one should have to choose between caring for themselves or their loved ones and losing their job,” said Congressman Casten. “The FMLA has made progress in removing barriers to balancing work and family responsibilities, but there’s still so much work to be done to ensure all Americans can take the time they need to care for themselves and their family.” 

“As we celebrate 30 years of the Family and Medical Leave Act, we cannot forget that 44 percent of workers are still excluded from the law’s protections,” said Underwood. “Senator Tina Smith and I are introducing the Job Protection Act to ensure that every worker has the guarantee of job-protected leave, and can remain in the workforce without sacrificing their health or the health of their families. The Job Protection Act is the largest expansion of FMLA since its enactment, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to advance this legislation that guarantees family and medical leave for all.”

"The FMLA was a tremendous accomplishment and we applaud the partners in our campaign who helped secure its passage. It was an important first step, but 30 years is long enough to wait for the next: all working people need and deserve the dignity and security of paid leave. Paid family and medical leave is a tool for public health, economic growth, and racial and gender equity, and it is a policy whose time has come. We look forward to working with our cosponsors and a growing list of champions in Congress and across the country to get paid leave over the finish line." – Dawn Huckelbridge, Director – Paid Leave for All

“The Family and Medical Leave Act is a groundbreaking achievement that redefined essential workplace standards,” said Sharita Gruberg, vice president for economic justice at the National Partnership for Women & Families. “It’s been especially pivotal for women, who too often faced discrimination because of their role as caregivers, and enabled them to provide care while protecting their jobs. But while we are celebrating all that the Family and Medical Leave Act has made possible, we are also aware that it is not enough and needs to be modernized and paid. It is unconscionable that we are one of 6 countries in the world without a national paid leave program. It’s critical for families. It’s critical for businesses. It’s critical for our economy. The time for paid leave is now.”

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