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Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act Of 2009

Floor Speech

Date: June 4, 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Business and Consumers Employment and Affirmative Action

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Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Madam Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 626, the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act of 2009.

I would like to thank the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) for her long-time leadership on this legislation and for her ongoing efforts to ensure family-friendly workplaces. That must begin at least with the Federal Government.

It is so tiresome and tedious to stand on this floor every day and to listen to the demagoging of Federal employees. They are the people who get up every single day and inspect our food. They make sure that we have clean water. They process Social Security checks. They do all of the business of this government, and it is so sad that, even when offering a simple parental leave act, we have to demagogue Federal employees in the process.

The legislation provides 4 weeks of paid parental leave for new mothers and fathers for the birth, adoption or fostering of a child. America's 1.8 million Federal employees will benefit from this time to learn how to care for and to bond with their new additions to their families. It's what many in the private sector already do, and it's what we strive for. The Federal Government needs to set an example.

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Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. This will also help employee morale, and it will allow the Federal Government to attract and to retain young and talented employees in our aging workforce.

Madam Chair, as a Representative of the Fourth Congressional District of Maryland--proudly the home to at least 70,000 Federal employees--for my neighbors, for my friends, for the people who work hard every day, this important legislation will advance family-friendly policies. It will allow new parents the time necessary to care for their children, and it will set a standard for the Federal Government and for the private workforce.

There are times when it is simply the right thing to do, and this is one of those times. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

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