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This week, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) joined Representative Rosa DeLauro (CT-3) and 189 House Democrats in introducing the Family and Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act. The FAMILY Act would create a permanent, national paid family and medical leave program. It would guarantee up to 12 weeks of partial income for workers who have to take leave for serious medical and family events. Paid medical and family leave is especially helpful for new parents and older Americans, who are more likely to have health issues or caregiving obligations for older relatives.

“Millions of Americans cannot take time off during a serious illness, after having a baby or to care for a spouse or parent with an illness because they have no access to paid family and medical leave,” said Congresswoman Escobar. “I’m proud to join my colleagues to introduce the FAMILY Act, which would provide this permanent benefit to hard-working Americans during times of great need. People shouldn’t have to choose between losing their job and taking time off to care for themselves or a family member.”

Currently, 73 percent of American workers do not have access to paid leave despite a large body of research showing that paid leave improves workers’ mental health, boosts employee retention and productivity, and helps businesses. Additionally, working families lose $22.5 billion per year in wages due to a lack of paid family and medical leave.

Specifically, the FAMILY Act would provide workers with paid leave for a range of major life events, including: 

1. Recovering from their own serious health condition;
2. Caring for a family member with a serious health condition;
3. Bonding with a new child—whether newborn, adopted, or placed through foster care;
4. Handling responsibilities related to a family member’s military deployment;
5. Taking “safe leave” to respond to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking.