Paid Family & Medical Leave

This story about 2 moms fighting to make paid family leave a part of each candidate’s First 100 Days Platform will absolutely gut you.  (You can sign their petition here. )  Both moms lost their infant sons at daycare after returning to work while their sons were just weeks old.   In their story, they cite that 1 in 4 American moms have no choice but to return to work when their child is just 2 weeks old.  87% of parents have no access to paid leave through their employers.  It also cites a study that shows that each additional month a parent has paid leave, the infant mortality rate goes down 13%.  Americans have the highest infant mortality rate in the world.  Countries that enact paid family leave see infant mortality rates decrease.  They also see a decrease in high school dropout rates, a rise in college attendance, and higher incomes at age 30.  Babies whose mothers don’t have paid leave are less likely to nurse or be taken to the doctor.  When they become toddlers, they have more behavioral problems and score lower on cognitive tests.   

A couple of years ago, I saw some of my Facebook friends sharing a graphic outlining how maternity leave in the United States compared with maternity leave in other developed countries.  As most know, the United States it the only developed country in the world with no guaranteed paid leave.  What I specifically remember about it, though, is that it was my conservative friends sharing it.  Historically, this is not an issue that has progressed under conservative leadership.  In fact, it has been blocked.

If paid family leave is important to you, there is only one choice for president.

Clinton:  Clinton will guarantee up to 12 weeks of paid family leave to care for a new child or an aging parent.  She will also guarantee up to 12 weeks of paid medical leave to recover from illness or injury.  During this leave, she will ensure employees receive at least two-thirds of their wages.  She will do so without imposing additional costs on businesses, including small businesses.  Instead, it will be paid with through tax reform which I will discuss in a future post.

Experience:  As first Lady of the United States, she fought for the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ensuring that it was the first bill President Bill Clinton signed into law.   As U.S. Senator, she fought for paid leave and worked to expand FMLA for wounded soldiers and their families.   Paid leave was a part of her 2008 presidential run, as well.

Trump:  This is not a part of Trump’s platform.  When asked about paid family leave, he has said, “we have to keep our country very competitive, so you have to be careful.” What does that mean? Historically, republicans have ascribed to the philosophy held by Libertarian candidate, Gary Johnson. When asked if businesses should be required to provide this he said no, because private businesses should be able to decide what they offer in order to remain competitive.