WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama said Monday that
the United States should join the rest of the industrialized world and offer
paid leave for mothers of newborns.
"Many women can't even get a paid day off to give birth
— now that's a pretty low bar," Obama said at the White House Summit on
Working Families. "That, we should be able to take care of."
The president is touting paid maternity in the midst of a
midterm election campaign focused on women voters, without describing the
details of how he would fund such a system. "If France can figure this
out, we can figure this out," Obama said.
Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, a potential 2016
presidential candidate, responded to Obama by announcing he will would outline
his vision Wednesday for "how modern conservative reforms can help bring
the American Dream within reach for millions of single mothers, young Americans
and working families."
"Telling federal agencies to do what they're already
supposed to do and endorsing partisan legislation that will never pass is not
the sort of bold, innovative leadership we need," Rubio said in a
statement.
While some companies offer paid family leave to attract
workers, the 1993 Family Medical Leave Act only requires that employers provide
unpaid leave for medical and family reasons.
Obama praised California, Rhode Island and New Jersey for
creating a state benefit. But he has not endorsed legislation that would create
a similar national system funded by a payroll tax, and he pledged in his 2008
presidential campaign not to raise taxes on families making under $250,000 a
year.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., has introduced legislation that
would provide up to 12 weeks of paid leave through a fund in the Social
Security Administration, paid for by contributions from employees and employers
of 0.2 percent of wages. She said she has personally encouraged the president
to back it, despite his tax pledge.
"We're talking about 2 cents of every $10," she
said in an interview at the summit. She said without such a fund, eight out of
10 workers can't take advantage of their right for family leave because they
can't afford it.
Obama instituted six weeks of paid leave for White House
staff when they have a child, get sick or injured or need to care for an ailing
family member, using his authority to set his staff's compensation under the
personnel code. He does not have the power to award paid leave to other federal
workers without congressional action since they are covered under a different
section of law. The White House has supported the goal of legislation
introduced by lawmakers to change that, but it has stalled in Congress.
"There is only one developed country in the world that
does not offer paid maternity leave, and that is us," Obama said.
"And that is not the list you want to be on — on your lonesome. It's time
to change that."
He also directed federal agencies to expand flexible work
arrangements where possible, and Obama chief of staff Dennis McDonough said in
a staff memo that includes the White House — a hard-charging environment where
long hours are the norm. "I know how hard each of you works to support the
president and the nation. Please know that we'll be looking for ways to better
support you as well," McDonough wrote.
Obama took four working parents out to lunch at Chipotle
before his speech and after met with business leaders with family-friendly
policies. He urged Congress to pass legislation requiring employers to
accommodate pregnant employees so they can continue to perform their jobs.
The summit included a surprise appearance by a celebrity to
echo Obama's criticism of "Mad Men" policies in today's workplace.
Christina Hendricks, who plays single mom Joan on the AMC dramatization of a
1960s ad firm, said, "In the 21st century the only place for a story like
Joan's should be on TV."
Mrs. Obama closed the summit by encouraging young women not
to short-change themselves in career negotiations. And she said she hopes to
see a woman in the country's top job as president soon.
"That should happen as soon as possible," she
said. "We have some options, don't we?"
Source: News.Yahoo
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