Hoyer Applauds Parental Leave Legislation for Federal Workers

House Democrats recently passed legislation to secure 12 weeks of paid parental leave for federal employees, an important step toward providing full paid family and medical leave for all workers. Following passage of the fiscal 2020 National Defense Authorization Act conference report, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) praised the inclusion of the leave, which will begin October 1, 2020.

“The passage of the NDAA conference report [Dec. 11] includes an important win for federal employees and their families,” Congressman Hoyer said. “… This provision will help the federal government recruit and retain talented employees to serve the American people and sets a standard for the private sector. I will continue to fight to make full family and medical leave benefits for all workers a priority, and I join in thanking Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney and Chairman Adam Smith for their dedication to this important issue.”

Earlier in December, Mr. Hoyer had led a letter with members of the National Capital Region urging the chairs of the Armed Services Committees to provide federal employees with paid family and medical leave benefits in the NDAA. Mr. Hoyer also submitted testimony to the House Oversight & Reform Committee’s hearing on national paid family and medical leave.

“This provision to provide paid parental leave, based on my Federal Employee Paid Leave Act, is a tremendous victory for the more than 2 million federal employees across the country,” said House Oversight & Reform Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY). “When this bill is signed into law, parents will no longer need to choose between being home with their new child or their paychecks. While this agreement is an incredible win for families, it is not perfect. It does not cover paid leave for medical reasons or cover employees outside the federal government. I know Leader Hoyer shares my passion and commitment to build on this win and guarantee paid family and medical leave for hardworking Americans across the country. Together, we have been working on this issue for too long, and its great to finally celebrate this success together.”

“I want thank Leader Hoyer for his leadership, and for giving me the space to negotiate these wins for the Democratic Caucus,” said House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith (D-WA). “Paid parental leave and the repeal of the “widow’s tax” are policy changes that will have lasting effects on the lives of millions of hardworking Americans. Passing the NDAA demonstrates our commitment to put country ahead of party in order to deliver for our service members and their families and ensure a strong national defense. That is something we can all to be proud of.”

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For more information about House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer, visit his Leader member page.