Murray Statement on the Anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act Passage
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) released the following statement to commemorate the 22nd anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act, which allows workers to take unpaid leave to care for themselves or a sick family member without the fear of losing their jobs.
“More than two decades ago, taking time off from work to care for a sick family member or attend to a serious personal health condition could have meant losing your job, but the Family and Medical Leave Act changed that. It built in important protections for most workers that allowed them to take care of themselves and their families, without the fear of losing their livelihoods.
“Family medical leave is an issue I worked on as a state senator in Washington and from the moment I arrived in the Senate, because no one should be forced to choose between their job and taking care of their family during a medical crisis. Today, on the anniversary of this groundbreaking law and as we celebrate its successes, we must remember our work is not done, so I am going to continue to fight to strengthen leave policies, put families ahead of big corporations, and expand economic security for more families in Washington state and across the country.”
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