DeLauro Statement on Ernst-Lee Paid Parental Leave Proposal

WASHINGTON, DC — (March 12, 2019) Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) today released the following statement in response to the Ernst-Lee paid parental leave proposal announced today.

"The Ernst-Lee paid parental leave proposal announced today is woefully insufficient and would hurt working families by breaking the promise of their hard-earned Social Security. Workers should not have to permanently cut their Social Security retirement benefits to spend time with a newborn child. Moreover, this bill is silent on the more than three-quarters of working people that need paid medical leave to care for a loved one who falls ill. No one should have to make the choice between taking care of themselves or their family or missing a paycheck. That is why Congress needs to enact the FAMILY Act, the only plan that provides comprehensive benefits for workers that need to care for themselves and their families. I urge my colleagues to work with us to support a comprehensive solution for working Americans."