(12 Dec 2019) FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus128051
President Donald Trump is praising a new law that will give 12 weeks of paid parental leave to federal workers for the first time.
The measure passed the House of Representatives on Wednesday and is slated for a Senate vote next week.
Speaking at a White House summit on child care and paid leave, Trump said his administration and Congress reached a "historic deal" this week.
When passed and signed, the legislation will give paid parental leave to the federal government's 2.1 million employees.
The new policy aligns the federal government with many of the country's most powerful companies, which have been leading the charge in aggressively expanding parental leave benefits.
It also could set a high standard for other employers, both because of the length of time offered and because the policy would apply to all new parents, not just birth mothers.
While the law will only apply to federal workers, Trump said his administration will continue to work with Congress to bring paid family leave to all Americans - something he said could take "a long time."
"With more women working today than ever before, we now have a historic opportunity to enact long overdue reforms. It's time to pass paid family leave and expand access to quality," Trump said.
The U.S. remains the only industrialized country that does not federally mandate paid parental leave. The vast majority of American workers do not get paid time off to care for a new child, and that will not change with the federal policy.
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
