STATEMENT: Rep. Jimmy Gomez Calls for Paid Family Leave on the 25th Anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act
Washington,
February 5, 2018
While there’s no doubt that the FMLA has made great strides in improving the lives of working families, it is time for us to look ahead toward a more inclusive and comprehensive national paid family leave law.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Jimmy Gomez (D – Los Angeles) issued the following statement on the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which guaranteed certain workers up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave without threat of losing their jobs: “The Family and Medical Leave Act was signed into law twenty-five years ago today. While there’s no doubt that the FMLA has made great strides in improving the lives of working families, it is time for us to look ahead toward a more inclusive and comprehensive national paid family leave law. “America is now the only industrialized nation on earth that does not guarantee paid family leave to its working families. That means that workers who take time off to take care of their loved ones must do so without receiving pay. My family was one of those who faced this difficult scenario. As a child, I spent seven days in the hospital with pneumonia, which nearly bankrupted my family. Between lost wages for missing work and the cost of my medical bills, my parents were barely able to make ends meet.” “My experience led me to author AB908 in the California State Assembly, a bill that led to the largest expansion of a state-level Paid Family Leave program in the nation. It was subsequently hailed by President Obama as a model for Congress.” “In Congress, I am proud to sponsor the FAMILY Act which would establish a national paid family leave system. I pledge to continue to fight to ensure that the United States joins the rest of the world in guaranteeing paid family leave for all working families.” ### |
