Support the fact-based journalism you rely on with a donation to Marketplace today. Give Now!

Bills on family leave proposed with female voters in mind

Mitchell Hartman Mar 18, 2019
HTML EMBED:
COPY
U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) speaks during a news conference February 12, 2019 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Gillibrand and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) held a news conference to introduce the "Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act," or FAMILY Act. Alex Wong/Getty Images

Bills on family leave proposed with female voters in mind

Mitchell Hartman Mar 18, 2019
U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) speaks during a news conference February 12, 2019 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Gillibrand and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) held a news conference to introduce the "Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act," or FAMILY Act. Alex Wong/Getty Images
HTML EMBED:
COPY

Democrats have reintroduced two pieces of legislation: the Family and Medical Insurance Leave (or FAMILY) Act to guarantee workers paid family and medical leave, and the Healthy Families Act to guarantee paid sick days. President Trump included a family leave proposal in his 2020 budget, and Republicans have proposals as well. With divided government, getting family-leave or sick-day bills out of Congress and to the president is highly unlikely before the 2020 election. Each party is positioning itself on this issue because of voter concern about the challenge of balancing work and family, and the clout of women in the electorate.

There’s a lot happening in the world.  Through it all, Marketplace is here for you. 

You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible. 

Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.