ELAURO, GILLIBRAND, COLLEAGUES INTRODUCE FAMILY ACT IN FIGHT FOR UNIVERSAL PAID LEAVE

Today, U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) held a press conference to announce the introduction of the Family and Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act. The FAMILY Actwould 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.

"Today, working families are stretched to the breaking point in this cost-of-living crisis, yet the U.S. remains the only industrialized nation without paid leave. Paid family and medical leave has been my life's work since I beat ovarian cancer in 1986 and helped write the Family and Medical Leave Act with Senator Chris Dodd. But unpaid leave was never meant to be the destination - it was just our first step. The FAMILY Act is our next step forward: a national and comprehensive program that never makes Americans choose between their health or their family, and their paycheck," said Congresswoman DeLauro. "I am proud to introduce this needed legislation with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and with strong support from our Democratic colleagues."

"Without universal paid leave, millions of Americans are forced to make devastating choices between their livelihood and the health of themselves or their families," said Senator Gillibrand. "By guaranteeing up to 12 weeks of paid leave for workers who have to take time off for a major life event, the FAMILY Act will end these impossible decisions. I am proud to have led the fight for paid leave alongside Representative DeLauro for over a decade, and I'll continue fighting for this program for as long as it takes so we can give every worker the flexibility and dignity they deserve."

Gillibrand and DeLauro's FAMILY Act delivers a key solution to the country's public health and economic challenges and is modeled on successful state programs. 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.

The FAMILY Actwould 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.

Congresswoman DeLauro and Senator Gillibrand were joined at the press conference by Reps. Richie Neal (D-MA-01), Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14), and Sarah McBride (D-DE-AL) as well as Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Andy Kim (D-NJ).

"Unlocking the security and stability of paid family and medical leave is about building an economy that grows from the bottom-up and middle-out, and one that recognizes workers' health, caregiving, and family responsibilities," Ranking Member Neal said. "Ways and Means Democrats rightfully recognized the importance of investing in the backbone of our economy in 2021 when we passed 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave through the House of Representatives-next step, becoming the law of the land."

"Taking care of one another is so central to our values and so deeply connected to who we are as Americans. I know it certainly is in my northern Illinois community," said Rep. Underwood. "We are introducing this legislation because no one in America should be forced to choose between their job and their paycheck, or taking care of themselves, their new kid, or an aging or sick family member. No one in America should be just one event away from seeing their world fall apart. The FAMILY Act is family-first legislation that would create access to paid family and medical leave for all working people in America, and we have to get it done."

"Paid family and medical leave isn't just good policy-it's deeply personal," said Rep. McBride. "No one should have to choose between their family and their paycheck, their health and their job. When my husband Andy was diagnosed with cancer, we were fortunate to have the flexibility to focus on care. But far too many families aren't given that choice. That's why I'm so proud to stand with my colleagues and advocates to reintroduce the FAMILY Act. In the wealthiest nation on earth, time to care shouldn't be a matter of luck-it should be the law of the land."

"Our country is forcing workers to make impossible choices between caring for their families and keeping a paycheck," said Senator Wyden. "Instead of investing in resources like paid leave to help new moms and working parents, Republicans gave another round of tax breaks to their billionaire buddies at the expense of working families. I'm all in to make sure paid leave is the law of the land for every single worker in America, and Senator Gillibrand's FAMILY Act is the bill to get it done."

"Paid family leave should be a right, not a luxury, for every worker. You should be able to spend those first days with a new kid or take care of an aging parent without having to worry about putting your job on the line," said Senator Kim. "Those are the moments that matter most, and the least we can do is making sure you can be there for them."

"Rep. DeLauro and Sen. Gillibrand have been tireless partners in the fight for paid family and medical leave since they first introduced the FAMILY Act more than a decade ago. We are grateful for their support of this important and necessary legislation," said Jocelyn Frye, president of the National Partnership for Women & Families. "In the United States of America - the richest nation on earth - every person should have the ability to care for their loved ones without needing to jeopardize their financial stability. The FAMILY Act would finally put our country on the path toward providing every worker with access to meaningful and guaranteed paid leave benefits."

"It is astounding that in 2025, the U.S. still lacks a comprehensive paid family and medical leave program, lagging behind numerous other countries that consider these protections a fundamental right," said Inimai Chettiar, president of A Better Balance. "Without paid leave, Americans are constantly being forced to choose between their financial security, and being there for their loved ones as they navigate health crises, or accessing the treatment they need during medical emergencies, or taking the time they need to welcome a new baby. The FAMILY Act is the real, robust paid family and medical leave program that families nationwide need and deserve."

Along with U.S. Representatives DeLauro and Senator Gillibrand, this legislation is also cosponsored by 190 House Democrats as well as 37 Senate Democrats.

The full text of the bill can be found here.