Father's Day and Paid Family Leave

Floor Speech

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Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, it is almost Father's Day, a good time to think about the fathers in our lives and in the families we are honored to represent. I think about the families in Northwest Oregon, and I know that too many are still facing challenges. Too many are still struggling to make ends meet. Their paycheck, if they are fortunate to have one, just isn't enough to pay the bills, and it is hard for them to even think of saving for the future.

One policy that can make a big difference in the lives of families is paid leave. It is an economic issue for working families; and we need to recognize that both women and men need to be able to take paid time off when a child is born, or to care for their children or other family members when they need them.

In Oregon, our parental and family medical leave laws cover more people and have stronger protections than current Federal law, and I applaud those efforts; but there are still far too many workers across the country who are not able to care for a sick child or aging parents because they cannot pay their rent or buy groceries if they lose a day of work.

According to the Department of Labor, only 15 percent of workers in the United States have access to paid family leave through their employers. And although some employers recognize the importance of providing paid leave for all working people, most still do not.

Outdated gender norms in too many workplaces often pressure men, especially those in jobs without paid leave, to limit their time away from work for caregiving. We need to see a cultural shift in our societal expectations about men as caregivers, and we need to dismantle the stigma that being a caregiver is incompatible with success in the workforce.

Congress should get serious about supporting families and enact a meaningful paid family leave law. We should pass the FAMILY Act, legislation that will provide much-needed financial security to working people and their families and provide certainty for businesses.

A national paid family and medical leave program would help to foster a healthier and more equitable society. It would help to bring our Nation's policies more in line with the needs of our families and our workforce, and it would be a very meaningful way to say Happy Father's Day.

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