Senator Murray Praises Paid Leave in American Families Plan
Senator Murray has long been a champion of paid leave, and re-introduced the FAMILY Act alongside Senator Gillibrand and Congresswoman DeLauro in February
Senator Murray: “It’s long past time this country establish a national family and medical leave program, and I’m grateful that President Biden recognizes just how critical these policies are to building an economy that works for everyone.”
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released the following statement on the permanent national paid family and medical leave program included in the American Families Plan, which would provide all workers paid leave for 12 weeks to welcome a new child, or to care for themselves or a loved one during a serious illness. The plan is modeled after the FAMILY Act, which Senator Murray re-introduced alongside Senator Gillibrand and Congresswoman DeLauro in February, and would finally ensure that the United States joins nearly every other country in the developed world and provides paid family and medical leave for all workers. In the American Families Plan, President Biden also called on Congress to pass the Healthy Families Act, paid sick days legislation that Senator Murray has introduced each Congress since 2004, most recently in April 2021.
“For too long, I’ve heard stories from working parents who have had to go back to work only weeks after giving birth, or just days after a partner’s delivery. Or those who’ve missed a paycheck or lost a job because they needed to care for themselves, a child, or a loved one who was seriously ill. It’s disproportionately women of color and workers who earn low-incomes who are facing these challenges—and it’s these same workers who have struggled the most in the current health and economic crises.
“It’s unacceptable—and quite frankly a national disgrace—that in 2021 we are still forcing workers to make these impossible choices. It’s long past time this country establish a national paid family and medical leave program, and I’m grateful that President Biden recognizes just how critical this is to rebuilding an economy that works for everyone. I’ve fought for years to make these policies a reality, and I’ll continue that fight until we achieve paid leave for all.”
Senator Murray has long been a champion of paid leave, and has fought to expand paid leave during this pandemic to keep workers, communities and our economy safe. In March 2020, Senator Murray, Congresswoman DeLauro, and Senator Gillibrand introduced the PAID Leave Act to provide paid sick days and paid family and medical leave immediately to workers in light of the coronavirus crisis, and in preparation for future public health emergencies. The PAID Leave Act built off of the Healthy Families Act and the FAMILY Act, which the American Families Plan is modeled after, to make seven days of paid sick leave and 12 weeks of family and medical leave permanent for all workers.
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