The following is a statement from A Better Balance Co-Founder and Co-President Sherry Leiwant:
“Today, the House of Representatives’ bipartisan paid leave working group released a draft of a four-part framework to extend the right to paid family and medical leave to more people throughout the country. The release of this framework is a heartening show of commitment from our elected officials to extending this critical benefit to more Americans.
We at A Better Balance have been leaders in the fight for paid leave for all, and, working with our partners in states throughout the country, have had tremendous success in passing and implementing paid leave policies at the state and local level. Those policies have made it possible for families to bond with their new children, care for sick loved ones and take care of their own medical needs. Millions of workers throughout the country have benefited from the successful work in the states, and we are especially delighted that this bipartisan group recognizes the importance and the success of these state programs and is exploring ways to support them. There is also recognition with this framework that without a universal national paid leave program, millions of families will continue to be left without access to these rights, forced to make impossible choices between their economic security, and attending to their health needs or caring for loved ones in times of need. We are thrilled by the House’s commitment to taking concrete steps towards making these lifeline protections a right for all workers, and look forward to working together on a path ahead for a national paid leave program.”
