Why should Europeans get to hug their newborns more than we do?
Sep 14, 2016, 5:50 AM | Updated: Sep 15, 2016, 12:13 pm
Donald Trump’s speech Tuesday makes it official — both candidates are now on record in support of paid leave for parents who stay home to care for a newborn.
Hillary Clinton’s plan is much more generous and more expensive than Trump’s. She would provide 12 weeks of pay, he would provide six weeks of pay, but the point is for the first time we have both major presidential candidates saying they would sign a bill providing guaranteed paid family leave.
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Here’s what Ivanka Trump says about it.
“Raising children full time is one of the hardest jobs anyone can do. And it’s essential our policies recognize and honor that reality,” she said.
But before the next president can sign such a bill, Congress has to pass it. That won’t be easy. The last family leave bill Congress passed was 23 years ago, signed by Bill Clinton, providing 12 weeks of unpaid leave. It’s the stingiest family leave policy in the developed world. Most of Europe gets 26 weeks, paid.
So if you want this to pass, and polls show most Americans do, this is the time to pester your member of Congress. Because they will never be as desperate for your vote as they are right now. Now is the time to email them, Tweet at them, or, if you’re really serious, take out a piece of paper and send a written note with a check enclosed!
Remind them Clinton and Trump both support the idea and ask them: Why should Europeans get to hug their newborns more than we do?