The U.S. Senate on Sept. 25 voted 55-39 to accept a parental leave resolution introduced that same day by U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA).
“It is well past time that we made paid parental leave a reality in this country,” Sen. Ernst said. “That’s why I’ve urged my colleagues to work together toward effective and sensible solutions that fit the needs of American families and businesses.”
Last week, Sen. Ernst spoke on the Senate floor in support of Senate Resolution (S.Res.) 336, which she urged members of the Conference Committee on the annual defense bill to consider.
“Enabling working moms and dads to spend time with their new baby in those first precious few weeks is something Americans want to see happen, so let’s ensure that Congress is working on behalf of all hard-working parents who need flexibility as they balance their jobs and growing families,” said Sen. Ernst.
S.Res. 336 instructs the managers on the part of the Senate to insist that conference members consider potential common sense solutions regarding family and medical leave, including voluntary compensatory time programs and incentives through the tax code, as they consider the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, S. 1790, according to the text of the resolution.
In March, Sen. Ernst put forward such a solution via introduction of the Child Rearing and Development Leave Empowerment (CRADLE) Act, which would allow both natural and adoptive parents to receive one, two, or three months of paid leave benefits by giving them the option to delay activating their Social Security benefits for two, four, or six months, among other provisions.