Congressman Al Green Supports Pregnant Workers Fairness Act as Original Cosponsor
Press Release
On Friday, May 14, 2021, Congressman Al Green released the following statement in support of H.R. 1065, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act:
"I proudly support the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act of 2021 as an original cosponsor.," stated Congressman Al Green, who also voted YES to this bill in the 116th Congress. "In October 2020, there were 2.2 million fewer women in our nation's labor force compared to October 2019. This alarming trend is largely due to disproportionate job loss, school closures, lack of childcare, and the exacerbated effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on existing gender inequities."
"As states across our nation continue to rescind pandemic restrictions and ease safety guidelines, it is imperative that the federal government does its part to offer more protections for women workers. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and remove obstacles to women's full participation in the workforce. This legislation, which is ultimately modeled after the Americans with Disabilities Act, outlines enforcement procedures and remedies for pregnant workers attempting to access reasonable accommodations in their workplace. It requires the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to specify examples of reasonable accommodations."
"This bill also seeks to make easier accessing protections initially provided by the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, which was weakened by courts." Congressman Green added, "Many of the women who enter the workforce will be pregnant at some point in their careers. Their ability to do their jobs should not be impeded during pregnancy because of an employer's unwillingness or inability to provide much needed, reasonable accommodations. However, this is the harsh reality for far too many pregnant workers, especially women of color."
"When a woman is preparing to bring new life into this world, the least of her worries should be losing her job. We must pass the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act to alleviate this concern for millions of women across our nation."
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