Whether we are Republican, Democrat, or independent, surely we must all agree that every human life is a sacred gift from God. As we support America’s moms and dads, I was recently proud to sign the law providing new parents in the federal workforce paid family leave, serving as a model for the rest of the country.
Now I call on Congress to pass the bipartisan Advancing Support for Working Families Act, extending family leave to mothers and fathers all across our nation.
It’s a bipartisan bill that would provide new parents the ability to borrow against the future tax benefit from their $5000 federal Child Tax Credit, in the form of a $500 allowance for 10 years.
There is little doubt that the United States needs to do something (anything) to provide new parents with some form of paid family leave. I have serious concerns, however, over a proposal that requires parents to borrow against a future tax credit to take that benefit. I have further concerns over a proposal that does not protect parents who avail themselves of that benefit from retaliation.
It’s good that we are having a national conversation about paid parental and family leave. It will be better when we start talking about proposed laws that will provide real and actual benefits and employment protections to parents. And it will be best when Congress and the White House get off their collective asses and pass meaningful legislation.