Underwood Fights for Paid Family Leave

WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14), Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) introduced the Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act, or FAMILY Act—legislation that would create a universal, gender-neutral, national paid family and medical leave program. The FAMILY Act would ensure that workers can take up to 12 weeks of paid leave for a pregnancy, the birth or adoption of a child, recovery from a serious illness, or to care for a seriously ill family member. Underwood is an original co-sponsor of the legislation.

"The majority of working people in the United States don't have the option for paid family leave through their jobs, which means a mom can't care for a sick child or newborn without the risk of losing her job, or a son can't care for aging parents without putting his own family's economic security at risk. We need a national paid leave program so Illinoisans don't have to choose between their jobs and their families—it's good for families, it's good for communities, and it's good for our economy."

The United States is the only industrialized country that does not guarantee its workers some form of paid leave. Recent studies have shown that the lack of access to paid family and medical leave costs nearly $21 billion that otherwise could be spent on housing, child care, food, education, or other everyday items. The FAMILY Act would create a self-sustaining family insurance program for all workers—young and elderly, single and married, and men and women—regardless of the size of their employer. The fund would provide up to 66 percent wage-replacement for up to 12 weeks in the event of a serious personal or family medical emergency.

Specifically, the FAMILY Act would do the following:

• Provide up to 12 weeks of partial wages to working people who need to take time away from their jobs to address a serious personal or family health issue, to care for a newborn or newly adopted child, or for circumstances arising from a loved one's military deployment or serious injury;
• Be self-funded through payroll contributions from employers and employees of just two-tenths of 1% each (two cents per $10 in wages), or about $4 a week total, split between employers and employees;
• Guarantee portable coverage so that workers who have multiple jobs, change jobs, or are self-employed are provided with the same security as traditional employees; and
• Provide 66% wage replacement, capped at $4,000 a month.

Contact: LaurenUnderwoodPress@mail.house.gov