OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act Of 2009

Floor Speech

Date: June 4, 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Employment and Affirmative Action

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Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Madam Chair, I rise in strong support of H.R. 626, the ``Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act of 2009.''

This legislation will update federal employee benefits to reflect the way families live today by providing four weeks of paid parental leave for federal employees. The 90,000 federal employees living in my home state of Georgia need us to pass this bill.

A generation ago, the overwhelming majority of families had a mother who stayed at home to provide full-time childcare.

Today, tens of thousands of families depend on the income of more than one income-earner to make ends meet.

When these families prepare to welcome a new child into their homes they are often faced with an impossible decision--forgo a paycheck or forgo the most critical period of time to care for and bond with their new baby.

As the Nation's largest employer, the Federal Government should lead the way in establishing family-friendly leave policies.

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 626 to ensure that no federal employee is forced to choose between their new child and their job.

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