SCHAUMBURG, IL –(ENEWSPF)–January 28, 2016. Following Secretary of Defense Ash Carter’s announcement of a more comprehensive and competitive family benefits package for servicemembers that includes 12 weeks of paid maternity leave for new mothers, Congresswoman and Member of the House Armed Services Committee Tammy Duckworth (IL-08) issued the following statement:
“Mothers and fathers in the military inevitably face separation from their children when they are deployed overseas, and parental leave benefits are critical for both our military families and military readiness. That’s one of the reasons I have long advocated for expanded protections and rights for new parents serving in our military.
“I applaud Secretary Carter for announcing a more comprehensive and more competitive benefits package for military parents and families that includes several important improvements over current policies for many servicemembers. But the limitations of this announcement—including its potentially harmful impact on Navy and Marine families—highlight the work that still must be done and the role Congress must play in securing the rights and protections that all new parents, both in and out of uniform, deserve.
“If our Armed Forces are to recruit and retain the world’s finest troops, Congress must lead and finally take action to ensure our nation’s military has a modern 21st century parental leave system that ranks among the world’s finest as well.”
In Congress, Congresswoman Duckworth has championed enhancing maternity leave and is working to develop a fully comprehensive proposal that strengthens the parental leave policies for not just mothers, but fathers and adoptive parents as well.
Source: http://www.duckworth.house.gov
