Kerry, Obama, Harkin, McCaskill, Baucus, Biden Draft Bill To Help Families Caring For Wounded Military

Press Release

Kerry, Obama, Harkin, McCaskill, Baucus, Biden Draft Bill to Help Families Caring for Wounded Military

Senator John Kerry today said he is teaming up with Senators Barack Obama (D-Ill.), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) and Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Max Baucus (D-Mont.), Joe Biden (D-Del.) to introduce legislation that would provide up to a full year of job protection for any family member who is caring for a recovering service member at a military medical facility, like Walter Reed. The Military Family Job Protection Act would essentially provide a safety net for families of wounded service members, who often take significant amounts of time off from work - and sometimes lose their jobs altogether - when they are caring for loved ones recovering from war wounds.

"We must support our military families by giving them the time they need to care for their loved ones - our heroes who serve this country," Senator Kerry said. "Extending the amount of time they can take leave to care for a wounded loved one is the very least we can do to honor their service. The last thing our military families should worry about is whether they are also going to lose their jobs as they care for those who have so honorably served this country."

"When America's sons and daughters are injured overseas and they return home to begin their recovery, their families should not be forced to choose between caring for a wounded child or keeping their jobs," said Senator Obama. "This legislation would provide a safety net that allows families to offer the care that's necessary for our wounded heroes, easing the burden on the service members. Providing our service members and their families with the care and compassion they deserve is one thing we can still get right about this war."

"Family members should not have to choose between their livelihoods and caring for wounded loved ones and our bill would remove that burden," Senator McCaskill said.

"Our military families make tremendous sacrifices to ensure our men and women in uniform can protect our nation," said Senator Harkin. "We must do all we can to protect them as well. This bill would prevent job discrimination and ensure families of service members have peace of mind when they are caring for a wounded loved one. I am proud to support this bill that will ensure the families who support our wounded service members have one less challenge to overcome."

"When our brave men and women serving in uniform are wounded, their families should be focused on helping them recover, not worrying about where their next paycheck is going to come from," Senator Baucus said. "And this legislation will help ease some of the pain along the road to recovery."

"We must ensure that family members of our wounded warriors are not forced to choose between providing care for their loved ones or keeping their jobs," said Senator Biden. "The emotional support these family members give their loved ones, along with the personal, medical and convalescent care they provide, is invaluable and goes a long way in a wounded soldier's recovery."

Many families that are already experiencing financial strains due to the deployment of a loved one face additional financial and employment pressures when that service member returns with severe injuries. It is not uncommon for a severely injured service member to spend months recovering at facilities like Walter Reed. There are cases in which family members have had to choose between caring for a loved one and keeping their jobs. Under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), a family member may only receive 12 covered weeks of leave in a given year to care for a seriously ill family member.

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