Norton Says District Officials Are Leading the Way with 16-Week Paid Leave Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today thanked District of Columbia Councilmembers David Grosso (I-At Large) and Elissa Silverman (I-At Large) for introducing a bill providing 16 weeks paid leave to workers in the District and paving the way for national efforts for paid leave in the states and in Congress. This Congress, Norton has fought for family paid leave for federal employees as an original cosponsor the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act, which would provide six weeks of paid leave to federal employees. She also introduced the Federal Employee Short-Term Disability Insurance Act, which would allow employees to purchase short-term insurance to cover lost wages from a pregnancy, pregnancy-related illness, short-term injury, or disability for up to one year. While Norton said she is still examining the provisions of the bill, she believes that, on home-rule grounds, even those who do not support the bill should not attempt to interfere if it is ultimately passed by the District.

"Although we still are not close to Europe's paid-leave standards, the District's bill leads the way for families who need paid leave most," Norton said. "The Federal Family and Medical Leave Act is almost useless for low- and middle-income families because the vast majority of Americans do not have the necessary resources to take unpaid family leave. Paid leave is at its core an issue of income inequality, and taking it should not depend on the income of the parents."