Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg Endorses DeLauro’s FAMILY Act

WASHINGTON, DC (August 9, 2017) — Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) today released the following statement regarding Facebook's Chief Operating Officer, Sheryl Sandberg, endorsement of the Family and Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act (H.R.947) in an interview on Bloomberg TV that aired August 9, 2017.

"At some point in our lives, many of us will need to take time off from work for a serious illness, to care for a loved one, or for the birth or adoption of a child. Yet, only 14 percent of workers in the United States had access to paid family leave through their employers in 2016. Ms. Sandberg understands that this is simply unacceptable, and I am excited to have her partnership to help working families," said DeLauro.

"The FAMILY Act will help deal with the biggest economic challenge of our time—that too many American workers are not earning enough to make ends meet. Countless families cannot afford to lose several weeks' worth of wages in order to care for an ill loved one," continued DeLauro. "The time for paid family and medical leave is long overdue—and we will keep fighting until no American worker has to choose between sacrificing a paycheck and caring for their family during the toughest times."

"We're the only country in the world, developed country that doesn't offer paid maternity," said Sandberg. "There's a really good bill out there. It's the FAMILY Act, Senator Gillibrand and Congresswoman DeLauro, it's a good bill. It offers 12 weeks. It covers men and women. It offers substantial wage reimbursement and replacement and it covers all forms of childbirth and adoption. That's the kind of public policy we need."

The FAMILY Act would ensure that workers can take up to 12 weeks of paid leave for a pregnancy, the birth or adoption of a child, to recover from a serious illness, or to care for a seriously ill family member. It would be paid for through small employer and employee contributions. The average worker would pay just $1.50 per week and the benefits would be completely portable and not tied to any one employer. The legislation is not just beneficial for workers—it works for businesses. In fact, research from the states where paid leave laws have passed shows that implementing the policy has had positive effects on recruitment, retention, productivity and overall performance.