[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 45 (Friday, April 15, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E665-E666]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              INTRODUCTION OF MILITARY FAMILIES LEAVE ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. TOM UDALL

                             of new mexico

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 14, 2005

  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the 
Military Families Leave Act, a bill that will take a small step to help 
ease the burden of military families in this country. I originally 
introduced this bill at the end of the 108th Congress, and I look 
forward to working for its passage during the 109th Congress.
  Nearly every day we hear stories about the hardships of the families 
of our nation's soldiers. Family members of deployed soldiers face 
unique challenges, especially in the first days and weeks after the 
member has been summoned to duty. The National Military Family 
Association has testified that it hears from many families about the 
difficulties of balancing new family and personal requirements with 
their regular duties when a family member is deployed. As members of 
Congress, we too hear from constituents who struggle with this balance. 
I believe there are measures we can take to ease this burden and 
increase flexibility in the lives of our military family members.
  The legislation I am introducing today is one of the steps we can 
take. The Military Families Leave Act allows spouses, parents, or 
children of military personnel who are serving on, or are called to 
active duty, in support of a contingency operation to use their Family 
and

[[Page E666]]

Medical Leave Act benefits for issues directly related to deployment. 
The bill does not extend the FMLA to anyone; it simply allows those who 
already qualify for the FMLA to use that benefit in new specific 
instances. For example, if a woman's husband is deployed for a 
contingency operation, she can use her FMLA benefit to secure power of 
attorney or to arrange for necessary childcare. Or, in a single parent 
situation, the mother or father of the deployed servicemember could use 
his or her FMLA benefit to care for a grandchild. This bill has been 
carefully drafted to stipulate that this leave could only be taken for 
issues directly relating to or resulting from the deployment of a 
family member.
  Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin has introduced the Senate 
companion to this bill, which has garnered widespread support from 
military reserve, active duty, and military family organizations. I 
would like to submit for the Record support letters from the Reserve 
Enlisted Association and Reserve Officers Association, the National 
Military Family Association, the Enlisted Association of the National 
Guard of the United States, and the National Partnership of Women and 
Families. Others who support this bill include the Military Officers 
Association of America and the National Guard Association of the United 
States.
  It is time to show our military families that we are listening to 
their concerns. The Military Families Leave Act represents a small 
measure of relief for the families of the men and women who serve in 
our armed forces. I ask that my colleagues join me in assisting our 
military families by supporting this bill.

                                 Reserve Enlisted Association,

                                                    April 9, 2005.
     Hon. Tom Udall,
     House of Representatives,
     Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC.
       Dear Representative Udall: The Reserve Officers 
     Association, representing 75,000 Reserve Component members, 
     and the Reserve Enlisted Association supporting all Reserve 
     enlisted members supports your bill, to amend the Family and 
     Medical Leave Act to provide authority for Reserve Component 
     family members to take leave in conjunction with a call-up.
       The Guard and Reserve are contributing approximately 40 
     percent of the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and are gone 
     from home for the longest period of time ever anticipated. 
     Many families are faced with having to accommodate this 
     absence with often less than 30 days notice and it requires a 
     considerable amount of time to make the necessary 
     adjustments. Family members supporting a spouse, son, 
     daughter or parent that is serving on active duty, should not 
     have to also be afraid of losing their job.
       The bill recognizes many of the problems encountered in the 
     current mobilization and provide solutions. We encourage you 
     to offer your provision as an amendment to House Report 109-
     016, Making Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for the 
     Fiscal Year ending September 30, 2005. ROA and REA applaud 
     your effort and concern.
           Sincerely,
     Lani Burnett,
                      CMSgt, USAFR (Ret.), REA Executive Director.
     Robert A. McIntosh,
     Major General (Ret), USAFR, ROA Executive Director.
                                  ____

                                                 National Military


                                           Family Association,

                                   Alexandria, VA, April 10, 2005.
     Hon. Tom Udall,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Representative Udall: The National Military Family 
     Association (NMFA) is a national nonprofit membership 
     organization whose sole focus is the military family. NMFA's 
     mission is to serve the families of the seven uniformed 
     services through education, information and advocacy,
       On behalf of NMFA and the families it serves, I would like 
     to thank you for introducing legislation to amend the Family 
     and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to provide entitlement to leave 
     to eligible employees whose spouse, son, daughter, or parent 
     is a member of the Armed Forces serving on active duty in 
     support or a contingency operation or notified of an 
     impending call or order to active duty in support of a 
     contingency operation.
       NMFA has heard from many families about the difficulty of 
     balancing family obligations with job requirements when a 
     close family member is deployed. Suddenly, they are single 
     parents or, in the ease of grandparents, assuming the new 
     responsibility of caring for grandchildren. The days leading 
     up to a deployment can be filled with pre-deployment 
     briefings and putting legal affairs in order. Families also 
     need the opportunity to spend precious time together prior to 
     a long separation. The need is no less when the servicemember 
     returns. Reintegration and transition requires training not 
     only for the servicemember but for the family as well in 
     order to be most effective.
       Military families, especially those of deployed 
     servicemembers, are called upon to make extraordinary 
     sacrifices. This amendment offers families some breathing 
     room as they adjust to this time of separation.
       Thank you for your support and interest in military 
     families. If NMFA can be of any assistance to you in other 
     areas concerning military families, please led free to 
     contact Kathy Moakler in the Government Relations Department 
     at 703.931.6632.
           Sincerely,
                                               Candace A. Wheeler,
     Chairman/Chief Executive Officer.
                                  ____



                                                        EANGUS

                                   Alexandria, VA, April 11, 2005.
     Hon. Tom Udall,
     U.S. Congress,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Congressman Udall: The Enlisted Association of the 
     National Guard of the United States (EANGUS) would like to 
     thank you, on behalf of the Enlisted men and women of the 
     Army and Air National Guard, for drafting the Military 
     Families Leave Act.
       Families of mobilized National Guard and Reserve members, 
     as well as the families of deployed active duty service 
     members, experience many hardships. Your bill will help 
     alleviate some of the stress involved when a principal family 
     member is deployed. Allowing the use of the Family and 
     Medical Leave Act of 1993 for those family members can 
     greatly assist during a difficult time.
       Thank you so much for recognizing one of the many needs of 
     the military community. EANGUS will support the Military 
     Families Leave Act in any way possible. If there is anything 
     we can do to assist, please let us know.
       If I can be of any assistance, please feel free to ask.
           Working for America's Best!
                                  MSG (Ret) Michael P. Cline, AUS,
     Executive Director.
                                  ____

                                              National Partnership


                                         for Women & Families,

                                    Washington, DC, April 8, 2005.
     Hon. Thomas Udall,
     Longworth House Office Building,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Representative Udall: Thank you for introducing 
     legislation that would expand the scope of the Family and 
     Medical Leave Act to allow the spouses, parents and children 
     of active duty military personnel to take job-protected leave 
     to take care of issues caused by the deployment of their 
     family member.
       The National Partnership was proud to lead an active 
     coalition that fought for and helped secure passage of the 
     FMLA. Twelve years later, the FMLA has helped more than 50 
     million Americans take job-protected leave from work after 
     the birth of a child, to recover from a serious illness or to 
     care for a family member with a serious illness. While the 
     FMLA is a landmark piece of legislation and has made 
     tremendous inroads in the struggle to make our workplaces 
     more family friendly, there is still much more that can be 
     done to help our working families in times of crisis. The 
     National Partnership has long been a champion of expanding 
     the FMLA to cover more workers and to allow workers to take 
     job protected leave to address important family needs such as 
     medical appointments and parent/teacher conferences. We also 
     are actively advocating for policies and programs that make 
     it easier for workers to receive pay while on leave.
       Your bill comes at a critical time in the lives of our 
     military families. Its passage will give them time to 
     prepare, logistically and mentally, before or during a loved 
     one's departure for active duty--without fear of losing a 
     much needed job. For these reasons, the National Partnership 
     applauds your leadership on this issue and supports the 
     enactment of this legislation.
           Sincerely,
                                                    Debra L. Ness,
     President.

                          ____________________