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Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act Of 2009

Floor Speech

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

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Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Chair, I rise in strong support of the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act.

H.R. 626 provides four weeks of pay to federal employees to use while they are on family or medical leave. Having this option is of special importance to our younger employees and employees seeking to start a family.

As the federal workforce ages, the government will have to hire many new workers. Indeed, by 2010, more than 50 percent of managers, and almost 50 percent of other federal workers will be eligible for retirement. The federal government will have to compete with the private sector to attract the best and brightest to federal service to replace them. But the federal government lacks an important benefit enjoyed by 75 percent of Fortune 100 companies--paid leave for parents of newborns.

This legislation permits federal employees to take up to four weeks of paid leave for the birth or adoption of a child. For younger employees, the lack of paid leave forces them to choose between using accrued sick leave or vacation time, which for newer employees is in short supply, or to simply go without pay when having a newborn.

I encourage my colleagues to join me in helping to show the public that the federal government values families. Support H.R. 626, the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act.

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