***WATCH: Murray reflects on 30-year anniversary of FMLA, redoubles fight for national paid family leave ***
Senator Murray: “As we mark the anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act, I want to urge my colleagues: let’s celebrate the legacy of this bill—by building on it.”
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), took to the Senate floor to reflect on the 30-year anniversary since the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was signed into law—and to underscore the need to build on the progress the critical legislation ushered in by closing gaps in the law and finally establishing a national paid family leave program.
Senator Murray spoke about the critical need for family leave and urged her colleagues to pass the FMLA in one of her very first speeches on the Senate floor in 1993, in which she shared the story of a friend who was forced to choose between taking care of her son who was diagnosed with leukemia and being able to keep her job.
Today, Senator Murray reiterated the importance of every worker being able to keep their job and provide for their family while taking care of themselves and their families—and urged action to finally ensure workers across the country have the vital protections they deserve—and take paid leave. She joined her colleagues today in reintroducing legislation to close gaps in federal law so that every worker has the FMLA’s vital protections, and she will keep fighting to get paid leave done for all.
“Thirty years ago—to the day, in fact—I came here to give one of my first speeches on the Senate floor. I spoke about a friend of mine back in Washington state—a mom. She had gotten heartbreaking news: her son was dying of leukemia. And then, another gut punch: her employer made her choose between taking care of her son and keeping her job,” said Senator Murray. “To this day it just makes my blood boil. No one should face such a cruel decision. No one should ever be forced to choose between taking care of themselves and their loved ones—and being able to make ends meet.”
“That is why I urged my colleagues to pass the Family and Medical Leave Act, which provided job-protected, unpaid leave to workers across the country. I was so thrilled when it became law a few days later. It was a hard-fought victory for families,” continued Senator Murray. “But even back then, it was clear that bill was just a first step. It was clear we would need to keep fighting for the next one. Well, I am still here, and I am still fighting. Because we are way behind where we should be. We are way behind our peers across the world when it comes to giving working families the support they need—and it is holding us back.”
“So as we mark the anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act, I want to urge my colleagues: let’s celebrate the legacy of this bill—by building on it,” added Senator Murray. “Let this be the Congress we finally, at long last, take the much-needed next steps families have been waiting for—have been calling for. Let’s ensure FMLA protects all working families. Let’s establish a national paid leave program. Let’s build an economy that truly works for working families.”
Senator Murray has long fought to ensure no worker has to choose between taking care of themselves and their loved ones—and their own economic security. She championed passage of the Family and Medical Leave Act in 1993, and she has helped lead the fight to establish a national paid family and medical leave program, introducing legislation each Congress to do just that.
Today, Senator Murray joined Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) and Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14) in introducing the Job Protection Act, common-sense legislation to extend the FMLA’s protections to more workers who are currently ineligible for FMLA protections. Right now, nearly 2.6 million workers who need family or medical leave each year choose not to take it for fear of losing their jobs. The legislation would change that—ensuring that workers’ ability to take family or medical leave does not depend on the size of the employer or their part-time status. Senator Murray also introduced the Caring for All Families Act today with Senator Durbin to update the definition of family to ensure a broader range of caregiving relationships are recognized under federal law—and to ensure workers’ can take leave for small necessities, like a parent-teacher conference or medical appointment.
Senator Murray’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, are below:
“It was thirty years ago—to the day, in fact—that I came here to give one of my first speeches on the Senate floor.
“I spoke about a friend of mine back in Washington state—a mom. She had gotten heartbreaking news: her son was dying of leukemia.
“And then, another gut punch: her employer made her choose between taking care of her son and keeping her job.
“To this day it just makes my blood boil.
“No one should face such a cruel decision.
“No one should ever be forced to choose between taking care of themselves and their loved ones—and being able to make ends meet.
“That is why I urged my colleagues to pass the Family and Medical Leave Act, which provided job-protected, unpaid leave to workers across the country.
“Because the bottom line is: every worker should know that if they have a family emergency—they can prioritize their families’ health, without jeopardizing their families’ economic security.
“And I was so thrilled when it became law a few days later. It was a hard-fought victory for families.
“But even back then, it was clear that bill was just a first step. It was clear we would need to keep fighting for the next one.
“Well, I am still here. And M. President, I am still fighting.
“Because we are way behind where we should be. We are way behind our peers across the world when it comes to giving working families the support they need—and it is holding us back.
“For one thing—there are still too many loopholes that leave people without the simple promise of unpaid leave.
“Too many workers are still denied the basic protections of the Family and Medical Leave Act we passed into law thirty years ago.
“I’ve been fighting to close these loopholes and expand protections for decades so workers aren’t left out in the cold during an emergency just because they work at a small business, just because they work part-time, or just because their family might look a little different—for example, if they are a caregiver for a niece, nephew, or grandchild.
“No one should be punished for that—so it’s time we pass legislation to guarantee these workers the same protections as everyone else.
“And M. President, let me be clear, passing bills to do this: that is just updating our laws to guarantee unpaid leave for all- that is just making good on the promise we made to workers 30 years ago.
“In other words—that is just the next step. But it is far from the last one.
“Our families need so much more. They deserve so much better.
“There’s simply no excuse for our utter lack of a national paid leave program.
“It’s bad for families, as any working mom or dad—or anyone who cares for a family member with a serious health condition—knows all too well.
“And it’s bad for our economy, because the lack of paid leave means employees lose wages, and businesses lose workers.
“We are facing serious workforce shortages in key sectors of the economy—and let me tell you, the lack of a national paid leave program, isn’t helping—it’s hurting.
“We are the only nation among our peers that hasn’t figured that out yet.
“We are the only one that hasn’t gotten this done.
“And the reality is, it makes our economy less competitive on the world stage.
“But you don’t have to look at other countries to see how urgent this is, just listen to people right here.
“I shared my friend’s story all those years ago—but today, across the country, there are still so many families facing unthinkable choices.
“There are still so many people—and working moms in particular— sharing their own, deeply personal stories about this.
“Stories of the painful recovery after giving birth, and the incredibly special—but, let’s face it, really tough—first weeks bonding with a newborn.
“Stories of the grief and pain of caring for a seriously ill child, sitting at the hospital bedside of a seriously ill parent, recovering from surgery, or coping with a cancer diagnosis with the added stress of worrying about how you’ll make next month’s rent by taking unpaid time off work.
“Anyone who has been in these situations knows, it is hard. You have so much you are worried about.
“Here in Congress, we should be working to make it a little easier.
“We should be taking one more worry off parents’ shoulders.
“We should be making sure no worker has to choose between their family and their job, their family and their paycheck.
“So as we mark the anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act, I want to urge my colleagues: let’s celebrate the legacy of this bill—by building on it.
“Let this be the Congress we finally, at long last, take the much-needed next steps families have been waiting for—have been calling for.
“Let’s ensure FMLA protects all working families.
“Let’s establish a national paid leave program.
“Let’s tackle the child care crisis with bold reforms.
“Let’s build an economy that truly works for working families.
“Now, M. President, I’ll end today, with the same words I said all those years ago: ‘If one mother is able to sit with her seriously ill son without fear of losing her life’s savings, if one son is able to hold the hand of his dying mother, if one of us—you or I—is able to care for someone we love when they need us the most, then the time and the energy spent on these issues has been worth it.’”
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