Skip to main content
Statement

STATEMENT OF KRISTIN ROWE-FINKBEINER, Executive Director and CEO, MomsRising, On the D.C. Universal Paid Leave Act of 2015

October 6, 2015
Paid Family & Medical Leave

Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996

DC Paid Leave Bill Would be Strongest in Nation
“MomsRising members across the Washington, D.C. metro area are thrilled to see today’s introduction of the D.C. Universal Paid Leave Act of 2015. Every day, we hear from our members about the economic challenges they face because they don’t have paid family or medical leave, forcing them to lose pay to care for a newborn, personal illness, or an ailing family member. This legislation would make D.C. the first city in the nation to provide paid family and medical leave for all workers.
 
“Right now in the United States, one in four employed mothers is forced to return to work just two weeks after giving birth because of the lack of paid family leave. This is simply unacceptable. The D.C. bill would guarantee 16 weeks of paid family and medical leave.
 
“Study after study shows that advancing this policy is not only the right thing to do for new parents; it’s also the economically smart thing to do for businesses, taxpayers, and the economy. Those advantages are why every other industrialized country has this crucial policy already in place. We’re thrilled that our Nation’s Capital is leading the way with this very strong legislation and we encourage the DC Council to pass it immediately.
 
“However, even with strong paid family leave bills being introduced in cities and states across the country, our nation still needs a comprehensive approach to paid family and medical leave insurance, like the FAMILY Act. You shouldn’t have to win the ‘location lottery' or the "boss lottery" to have access to this critical workplace protection that is available to workers in every other industrialized nation.”
 

# # # #

MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, decrease discrimination against women and moms, and to build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.