[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 99 (Thursday, June 14, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H5156]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   FATHER'S DAY AND PAID FAMILY LEAVE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Oregon (Ms. Bonamici) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, it is almost Father's Day, a good time to 
think about the fathers in our lives and in the families we are honored 
to represent. I think about the families in Northwest Oregon, and I 
know that too many are still facing challenges. Too many are still 
struggling to make ends meet. Their paycheck, if they are fortunate to 
have one, just isn't enough to pay the bills, and it is hard for them 
to even think of saving for the future.
  One policy that can make a big difference in the lives of families is 
paid leave. It is an economic issue for working families; and we need 
to recognize that both women and men need to be able to take paid time 
off when a child is born, or to care for their children or other family 
members when they need them.
  In Oregon, our parental and family medical leave laws cover more 
people and have stronger protections than current Federal law, and I 
applaud those efforts; but there are still far too many workers across 
the country who are not able to care for a sick child or aging parents 
because they cannot pay their rent or buy groceries if they lose a day 
of work.
  According to the Department of Labor, only 15 percent of workers in 
the United States have access to paid family leave through their 
employers. And although some employers recognize the importance of 
providing paid leave for all working people, most still do not.
  Outdated gender norms in too many workplaces often pressure men, 
especially those in jobs without paid leave, to limit their time away 
from work for caregiving. We need to see a cultural shift in our 
societal expectations about men as caregivers, and we need to dismantle 
the stigma that being a caregiver is incompatible with success in the 
workforce.
  Congress should get serious about supporting families and enact a 
meaningful paid family leave law. We should pass the FAMILY Act, 
legislation that will provide much-needed financial security to working 
people and their families and provide certainty for businesses.
  A national paid family and medical leave program would help to foster 
a healthier and more equitable society. It would help to bring our 
Nation's policies more in line with the needs of our families and our 
workforce, and it would be a very meaningful way to say Happy Father's 
Day.

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