Return to Article: House panel approves paid parental leave act
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77566
Sad to read all the hype about having to save up leave. I see more spending more time abusing it than trying to save it.
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77420
So I guess we should tell military members that, since it's not fair to everyone who doesn't serve in the military and since their salaries are paid for with tax dollars, they need to can the entire concept of convelescent leave (free sick leave for those who aren't familiar with the military practice) for having a child, right? It's obvious they're just too stupid or too undisciplined by not planning that kid to be completely covered by regular leave, so that military member should have NO right to "free" leave.
Is that what I'm hearing? Because by that logic, that's EXACTLY what you'd be saying you don't want done with your tax dollars. Convelescent leave is a REGULAR practice.
I see this as something that should have gone into effect a long time ago, as military members have had this benefit for quite some time. Why is it so hard to understand the desire to extend it to the other side of Federal service as a benefit? Or should we expect mothers to come right back to work within days of giving birth...? Many of the comments I've read seem to indicate such a sentiment.
If there's an exception I'd take, it would be the adoption clause as that's not exactly a physical hardship the way giving birth is. Otherwise, I see absolutely nothing wrong with this bill, and if Joseph Ronzio's maternity leave references are correct, we're actually lagging BEHIND a portion of the country!
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77403
Yeah, how DARE you selfish mothers take away taxpayer money that could be used for better purposes! Like sustaining an unpopular invas...er, I mean war against [name the country from any recent axis of evil list] as our national policy against terrorism.
Besides, don't yall need their babies to use as cannon fodder in upcoming inva...oops, wars?
For those who argue against the parental leave act, I offer up Dick Cheney's response when he was informed that 67% of the American public disapproved of the inv...war: So?
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77260
Ok first, Charlie you have no right yourself to speak about parents being dumb or undisciplined for not 'saving up their leave'. Many new parents are young...and many are new to the federal service and want kids before they are too old to raise them. They are unable to save up leave.
And concerned tax payer...I am also concerned....that my money is going to Social Security and I don't want it there since I will never see any of it when I retire. I also have the same comment for you as for Charlie. Those just in the Fed workforce get 4 hours every 2 weeks. Not everyone just 'doesn't plan' for their kids. People get new jobs (especially in this economy) or join the Fed workforce past the age of 18 and want to have kids early. And also, when you are talking about an overabundance of something...as in 'this is to much' it is too, not to. Education should be planned for as well and makes a responsible adult.
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77259
This is a problem because some women have difficulties becoming pregnant naturally. So in these cases, these women may have to use up their sick and/or annual leave. Once pregnancy finally happens, then their sick leave has been used up. These women are not dumb and/or undisciplied, they are just unfortunate. These women should not have to choose between having a baby or having a career.
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77248
I am against this bill. What "problem" is it addressing? It is not as if the U.S. needs more children. People don't decide to not have a baby because they don't get paid leave. If someone hasn't figured out how to save up their leave (and their money) before having a baby, they are too dumb and/or undisciplined to have a baby!
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77227
It is this kind of thinking that got Obama elected - that republicans do not care. If you look at Europe, they offer similiar plans. Yeah - we want kids, we DO pay for them! But no one should have to choose between the job and caring for a loved one. It also coveres problems associated with elderly aprents - I am the only child of older parents - my mother died a few years ago and my father is 95. I see this once strong, WW II combat veteran steadily going downhill and getting more frail each day. He had in-home nursing care for a month recently which helped tremendously. However, even though he has medicare AND private health insurance, if something is NOT covered by medicare, then it is NOT covered by Blue Cross Blue Shield (which makes no sense at all - this is why seniors have private health insurance to begin with - to cover those things NOT covered by medicare). I am all my father has and it would be very helpful, when the time comes, if I could spend his few remaining days on earth, while he is dying, with him, and not have to worry about loss of pay.
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77219
This country has such a backward opinion on family leave. Most of the rest of the world requires, by law, lengthy paid leave periods for both maternal and paternal leave. All that is required by law in this country is 12 weeks unpaid leave, and that is only if the company has more than 50 employees. It should be considered barbaric to expect parents to return to work immediately after having a child. Its funny that the biggest opponants of leave are the so-called "family values" Republicans, too. Even if women can exhaust their sick leave, it puts an unfair burden on mothers, because fathers don't have paid paternal leave (though they can use sick leave to care for the mothers). Both men and women should have leave dedicated to the purpose of child rearing and not have to use sick leave - and it should be the same for adopted as biological children - the purpose is to get yourself settled into raising children. Yes, paid leave is not as common in the private workplace, but it should be, the civil service should provide a model for benefits companies should be providing. As for unemployment, in the French model (not necessarily one to follow), granting more leave is good for employment, because effectively you have to hire more people to do the same job.
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77215
Why this bill? Government allows an employee to borrow 240 hours (6 weeks) of advanced paid sick leave in addition to whatever annual and sick leave you have accumulated. I had to borrow leave for my second child and it took awhile to pay it back but I did it just as many others have done.
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77193
Kathi must have a position which isn't terribly needed in the private sector. For me, working for the gov. is not AT ALL a "lucrative" prospect. I love my job and working for the gov. means I make a difference in a lot of people's lives, but it certainly isn't lucrative. I could easily get a position in private sector for more money and better benefits. More work-life balance would certainly help keep me and my co-workers giving it their all for Uncle Sam.
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77095
For the government to exclude the parents who are FOSTER PARENTS would be a big disservice to this country. Seeing my uncle be a foster parent and not being able to have a few days off when he took a new child into the house was really tough on the rest of the family. The need to be included in this act.
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77087
I am against the bill since the wording indicates it is only for birth and adoption of a child. It therefore creates a special category of benefit (paid leave) for only a select group of employees. The wording should have been MUCH broader as to apply to ANY federal employee with pressing family or signficant other issues, such the care of elderly parents or any sick relative or child, care of close friends who are sick or in dire straits, grieving the loss of loved ones, personal disability, and even pet adoption. Therefore, everyone would probably sooner or later qualify for the "special circumstances leave", as I would call it.
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77077
Isn't this discrimination against people who choose, or are too old to have children? Shouldn't all employees be granted the same amount of leave time? If someone can get four weeks of paid leave for the birth/adoption of a child why can't others get four weeks for the care of elderly/invalid parents or partners??
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77076
I am all for helping out new parents with paid leave but what about us hwqo had our kids and used every bit of sick, annual and leave without pay in the past. It doesn't seem to matter to Congress that our pay is behind the private sector but let's have paid parental leave. You need to think about the current federal employees who work diligently and give 120% or more to their job.
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77069
When many companies provide 8 to 12 weeks of paid maternity leave and some states have enforced a state policy of paid parental leave I find it odd the federal government doesn't was to help build another generation by allowing parents the time to adjust and raise children.
If the workforce is so important this should be a bsic benefit not one that is so hotly contested.
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77067
Very depressing that only Rep Issa is capable of recognizing the realities of affordability vs feel-good, nice to have benefits. In reference to Rep Connolly's statement, since when is fiscal control a misplaced priority?
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77059
I don't understand the problem. Lets say someone makes 50K/yr. Part of the year is spent at work, part at home sick (sick leave), part on vacation (annual leave), and part caring for their new child (parental leave). Guess what. They still made 50K that year. Explain to me where the added expense is.
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77055
I think it's great to allow this time off for parent care; however, what about those of us who had to take off for several weeks due to life threatening deseases, i.e. cancer and surgery. We don't even have a short term disability policy which most companies offer. Pregnancy is a choice, cancer is not. I'm still paying back leave for mine. I chose to take advanced sick leave and keep my annual leave. I couldn't even get donated leave if I had any annual leave. I think there should be a policy for short term disability for life threatening illness, i.e. cancer, heart desease; or allow donated leave to be used without using up annual.
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77049
I agree with parents taking leave up to four weeks when my daughter was born I took three weeks of leave both parents should be home with their child at that time.
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77043
But they are more than willing to provide benefits to same sex couples? Sorry, one keeps the world populated the other does not. Quite simply put, values are thrown out the window in order to get votes.
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77042
I think this proposal is a slap in the face to all the unemployed.The money saved by not doing this could be put to much better use within the individual agencies or by putting more money into training the unemployed.As long as employees can use sick & annual time to stay home should be enough.
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77037
Anytime it comes to benefits for the young workers, the one's who actually do the work it seems the Republican party has a problem with it. Leave for new parents is long over due. Birth mothers need time to heal and need all the help they can get. Adopted parents are different as the mother doesn't need to heal and the parents are usualy in a higher earning bracket and can surely afford hired help
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77033
This can't be the same D. Issa that voted over 95% with George Bush 8 years ago could it ? Let's see, Issa voted against the stimulus plan BUT had over 12 million in ear marks in it for his district. Can you say Hypocrite ? His days are numbered in congress.
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77022
If you hire only the best and the brightest, you discriminate against the majority of federal employees who have training, knowledge, and the patience to deal with political entities!
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77018
I do not understand the concept that the government has to entice people to want to work for it by bringing in government paid "vacations" for a personal decision to have children. I have 3 children and 4 grandchildren. Never once did I consider not working for the gov't because they wouldn't support my need to be off a few weeks to have them. I feel a lot of people consider working for the government to be a lucrative prospect. There are many people wanting to get a position with the government who cannot seem to get their foot in the door, yet those who do work, complain about not getting extra paid time off to have a child??? TOTALLY RIDICULOUS!!
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77017
I have been with the Federal Government for almost 35 years and I agree with this bill. I feel that a family is willing to adopt or foster a child they should have the same rights as a family with a natural born child. I feel that there should be provisions made for these people who have children with special needs that they have to miss work to take them to the doctor and the hospital. They shouldn't have to be worried about their pay check.
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77016
This is so ridiculous, especially in a time when taxes are going up and the gov't is giving bailouts. You make a choice to have kids, so fund them yourself.
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77014
This is just to much. I am a federal employee and a tax payer and believe this is just way to much to ask of all of the tax payers. The federal government already has a generous annual and sick leave policy over most of the private industry. I know because I worked in the private industry while my childeren were younger. They don't give leave to employees as generously as the federal government. The government is feeding being drawn into a different kind of welfare system to their employees. Children should be planned for, therefore; as a responsible adult the leave should have been stored up to be able to care for children and that goes for adoptions. Does the government really want adults that can't plan for the future and make decisions working for them? I want to work next to and have an employee working for my tax dollars that is a responsible adult. My tax dollars should be going towards the Social Security system to take care of the elderly adults that have worked all their lives. The government has cut their medical and medicine care but want to give to the young that can still work. Lets do right by those who have to pay taxes.
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77003
No, No, and again, NO! You want kids, YOU pay for them! NO special civil service preference for breeding. Equal means the same quantity, not superior treatment, period.
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77001
Finally! As a young government employee - I really hope this passes - it is long overdue!
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77000
The fact that the Federal Government doesn't have maternity/parental leave already in this day and age is an absolute crime. A women starting work for the Government that is pregnant or wants to be pregnant is screwed the way the system is now. This is much needed!
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