    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (1999, Book II)]
    [November 11, 1999]
    [Page 2077]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 2077]]

    Statement on Proposed Parental Antidiscrimination Legislation
    November 11, 1999

        I am pleased that last night Senators Dodd and Kennedy introduced the
    ``Ending Discrimination Against Parents Act of 1999.'' This landmark
    bill protects America's working parents from unfair treatment on the
    job. It builds on our Nation's longstanding commitment to equal
    opportunity. And it sends a clear message that parents striving to meet
    their responsibilities both at home and at the office should never be
    considered second-class workers.
        This bill would, for the first time, protect parents and those with
    parental responsibilities against job discrimination. It does not stop
    employers from making hiring and promotion decisions on the basis of
    qualifications or job performance, but it does ensure that workers are
    not discriminated against simply because they are parents or exercise
    parental responsibilities. It would, for example, bar employers from
    taking a parent off the ``fast track'' because of unsubstantiated
    concerns that parents cannot perform in demanding jobs. Similarly, it
    would not allow employers to prefer applicants without children over
    equally or better qualified working parents or to refuse to hire single
    parents.
        As more mothers enter the work force and as more families rely on
    the earnings of single parents, these protections are increasingly
    important. We cannot afford to let working parents be held captive to
    baseless assumptions about their ability to work.
        Already, a number of States have enacted commonsense laws that
    prohibit or pave the way to prohibiting discrimination on the basis of
    parental or familial status. I urge Congress to safeguard the interests
    of America's working families and give this legislation prompt and
    favorable consideration. Our workplaces should work for all Americans.