[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 23 (Wednesday, February 13, 2013)]
[House]
[Pages H459-H460]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           FUTURE OF THE FMLA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
California (George Miller) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I read with interest 
Majority Leader Cantor's speech last week on the majority's latest 
relaunch of the House GOP's attempt to identify with the middle class.
  Leader Cantor said that the House will pursue an agenda of health, 
happiness, and prosperity for more Americans and their families. He 
went on to identify a very important problem for millions of Americans: 
how to balance work and family.
  Unfortunately, that was the end of the relaunch. Because to address 
this problem, the majority leader proposed an old scheme that actually 
takes away workers' rights to overtime pay in exchange for employer-
controlled comp time. This scheme has been bouncing around the Big 
Business wish list for decades. It's a twofer for Big Business: workers 
get less predictable schedules, and they earn less pay.
  Leader Cantor's prescription for what ails working families is to 
administer more poison. It's to give a working parent less control over 
her life and less money in her pocket. This plan does not give workers 
flexibility. This plan is about giving corporations another way to pay 
workers less.
  That's how you help working families? I don't think so.
  If the Republican majority party wants to seriously talk about 
healthy, prosperous, and happy American families, then they should help 
to create real opportunities to help families to be healthy, 
prosperous, and happy.
  Here's one serious way to help working families: give workers real 
flexibility on the job and the ability to take advantage of paid time 
off.
  Last week was the 20th anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave 
Act.

[[Page H460]]

Back in 1993, this law was a big step forward for America. It 
guarantees workers job-protected leave when they need time off for 
family or health reasons, for a newborn child, to take care of a sick 
child or spouse. It's been used more than 100 million times over the 
last 20 years. Workers got to take off time to care for a newborn or 
sick spouse or to get an operation without fear of losing their job.
  With the Family and Medical Leave Act, our country made it a priority 
to give workers the ability to balance the demands of work and family. 
It made the healthy development of babies, healthy families, and 
healthy workplaces a priority. It was a remarkable accomplishment at 
the time, but it was intended to be a first step, not the last.
  Today, only half of all workers can take advantage of the Family and 
Medical Leave Act. The rest are ineligible because of their part-time 
status or who their employer is. Half of all workers don't have job 
protections to take time off to welcome a new baby to the family. They 
can't take time off to help an elderly parent without fear of losing 
their job.
  Here's another serious idea to help working families: Extend the 
family and medical leave protection to all workers. And furthermore, 
let's guarantee paid leave under the law. The Federal Family and 
Medical Leave Act only guarantees unpaid job-protected leave. Too many 
families simply cannot afford to miss a day or two of work. That's why 
Congress should finally deliver on the paid leave that our Nation's 
workers deserve.
  I recently heard from Matari Jones from San Antonio, Texas. While she 
said that the family and medical leave was a godsend when her children 
were born, taking unpaid time off to care for her newborns to heal from 
a complicated delivery was a significant financial struggle. 
Unfortunately, Matari was not alone. A working woman--or any worker, 
for that matter--shouldn't have to choose between family members they 
love or the paycheck they need.
  California, the District of Columbia, Connecticut, Washington State, 
and New Jersey have taken steps for paid family and medical leave and 
sick leave. The policy is good for families, and it is good for 
business.
  The least-paid workers in our society are also least likely to be 
able to afford a day off when they are sick. Many of those workers are 
behind the lunch counter or taking care of our older family members.
  If Leader Cantor and this House are truly serious about helping 
working families, then let's deliver on the full promise of workplace 
leave policies that properly value our Nation's families. Extend family 
and medical leave benefits to all workers, and look for ways to 
guarantee workers' access to paid family and medical leave and to sick 
leave.
  There are other steps Congress should take to ensure that workers can 
share the prosperity that they're helping to create. Let's make sure 
that women are paid based upon their worth by passing the Paycheck 
Fairness Act. Let's raise the minimum wage that will boost the economy 
by putting money into the pockets of millions of working people.
  So I would say to my friend from Virginia, the majority leader, if he 
is serious about helping working families, then join with us and let's 
enact policies that put these families first in both the workplace and 
in their homes.

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