I feel like I talk about paid leave so much, but it is a very important topic! If you watched the State of the Union address, you probably heard Trump say “And let us support working families by supporting paid family leave.” Now, I was tweeting up a storm — mostly calling 45 out on the things he was saying that were. just. not. true.– but when he said that, I had to say “WOW Did he just endorse paid leave?” Is a national paid leave law going to become a reality in Trump’s presidency?
Now that the dust has settled over that SOTU, I wanted to know more on what kind of plan 45 would support. See, there is already a plan introduced by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, the FAMILY Act, which has been endorsed by a number of Democrats (27 to be exact), 2 Independents and NO Republicans.
The FAMILY Act would:
- Provide workers with up to 12 weeks of partial income when they take time for their own serious health conditions,
- Allows workers to earn 66 percent of their monthly wages, up to a capped amount– ensuring that low- and middle -wage workers have a higher share of their wages replaced
- Covers workers in all companies, no matter size of company
- funded by by a minimal contribution of employees and employers- two tenths of 1 percent each (two cents for every $10 in wages!)
RUBIO’S PLAN: TAKE PAID LEAVE, DELAY SOCIAL SECURITY
Today, Politico has reported that Marco Rubio wants to lead the paid leave fight with Ivanka, an early proponent of paid leave in the Trump administration.
According to Politico, Rubio’s plan would allow “people to draw Social Security benefits when they want to take time off for a new baby or other family-related matters, and then delay their checks when they hit retirement age.”
A FEDERAL PAID LEAVE ACT… IT’S TIME
Graphic credit: MomsRising.org
Here are some tweets you can use to show your support:
- A strong #paidleave policy goes beyond #FMLA and it must:
–>Be Accessible
–>Be Inclusive of All Family Structures
–>Have Job Protection
–>Be Affordable
–>Have A Meaningful Length – at least 12 weeks
–>Be Funded
#FMLA25 #PaidLeaveMeans - Lawmakers should pass a strong #paidleave program that’s not just #maternityleave. Maternity-only leave creates discrimination against mothers, prompting some employers to not hire them. #FMLA25
- We all want to be there for loved ones when they get sick with a major illness like cancer. Having #PaidLeaveMeans you can care for the people who need you most without risking your financial security. Find out how: http://moms.ly/PFML118 #FMLA25 #paidleave
- FACT: Nearly 1/2 of covered employees who need #FMLA don’t take it because they can’t afford to. #FAMILYAct would help more people get covered because it’s #paidleave! #FMLA25
- Nobody should have to choose between caring for their family & keeping their job. We need the #FAMILYAct. #FMLA25
- #Paidleave access shouldn’t depend on where you live or work. We need a national standard. This #FMLA25, the #FAMILYAct is a key next step.