Rep. Brenda Lawrence: Federal Workers Are the Backbone of Our Country

LAWRENCE Thank you so ░░░░░░░░ I want to thank ░░░░░░░░ panel for being here ░░░░░░░░ I m so happy ░░░░░░░░ we are having this ░░░░░░░░ I just want for ░░░░░░░░ record again to reflect ░░░░░░░░ I spent 30 years ░░░░░░░░ for a federal agency ░░░░░░░░ nothing has changed now ░░░░░░░░ I am in Congress ░░░░░░░░ am a mother I ░░░░░░░░ a daughter I am ░░░░░░░░ daughter I have family ░░░░░░░░ like a member of ░░░░░░░░ if any of us ░░░░░░░░ a family emergency or ░░░░░░░░ have a crisis we ░░░░░░░░ paid leave to be ░░░░░░░░ to care for our ░░░░░░░░ Federal workers should not ░░░░░░░░ exempt from that And ░░░░░░░░ of the privileged conversations ░░░░░░░░ I am hearing is ░░░░░░░░ heartbreaking I am co ░░░░░░░░ of the Women s ░░░░░░░░ But one of issues ░░░░░░░░ want to emphasize while ░░░░░░░░ talk about the impact ░░░░░░░░ women and pregnancy and ░░░░░░░░ the number one care ░░░░░░░░ in almost every family ░░░░░░░░ is a family issue ░░░░░░░░ had a town hall ░░░░░░░░ a man said congresswoman ░░░░░░░░ I will have no ░░░░░░░░ I have used almost ░░░░░░░░ of my vacation time ░░░░░░░░ care for my children ░░░░░░░░ this pandemic And so ░░░░░░░░ want to have the ░░░░░░░░ of this body to ░░░░░░░░ about human beings who ░░░░░░░░ our federal workers who ░░░░░░░░ up every day to ░░░░░░░░ the work who work ░░░░░░░░ front liners during this ░░░░░░░░ Ms Shabo would access ░░░░░░░░ paid leave help women ░░░░░░░░ the workforce participation Now ░░░░░░░░ are struggling with this ░░░░░░░░ of women in the ░░░░░░░░ Can you please talk ░░░░░░░░ that SHABO Absolutely I ░░░░░░░░ that Covid brought into ░░░░░░░░ relief the invisible care ░░░░░░░░ that is happening Women ░░░░░░░░ a disproportionate share of ░░░░░░░░ care giving but one ░░░░░░░░ the reasons we need ░░░░░░░░ equal leave is both ░░░░░░░░ recognize the care giving ░░░░░░░░ it s happening today ░░░░░░░░ encourage more equitable division ░░░░░░░░ forward You know something ░░░░░░░░ s really struck me ░░░░░░░░ as the survey finding ░░░░░░░░ Bipartisan Policy Center and ░░░░░░░░ Consult which found that ░░░░░░░░ percent of curently unemployed ░░░░░░░░ I think as of ░░░░░░░░ said that they d ░░░░░░░░ more likely to return ░░░░░░░░ work sooner if their ░░░░░░░░ employee provided paid family ░░░░░░░░ And that was particularly ░░░░░░░░ of unemployed parents Nearly ░░░░░░░░ of them said it ░░░░░░░░ help them return to ░░░░░░░░ sooner So this idea ░░░░░░░░ providing paid leave takes ░░░░░░░░ out of work is ░░░░░░░░ backwards People need access ░░░░░░░░ paid leave to know ░░░░░░░░ they can show up ░░░░░░░░ can do their best ░░░░░░░░ and that they are ░░░░░░░░ to be able to ░░░░░░░░ the time they need ░░░░░░░░ then come back if ░░░░░░░░ do need to take ░░░░░░░░ for a care that ░░░░░░░░ need And that s ░░░░░░░░ true in the survey ░░░░░░░░ black workers and Latinx ░░░░░░░░ who citing care giving ░░░░░░░░ a reason that they ░░░░░░░░ to leave the workforce ░░░░░░░░ to white workers LAWRENCE ░░░░░░░░ I appreciate that And ░░░░░░░░ other issue that we ░░░░░░░░ members of Congress should ░░░░░░░░ the fact that the ░░░░░░░░ leave if my child ░░░░░░░░ sick a lot of ░░░░░░░░ facilities will say that ░░░░░░░░ your child has a ░░░░░░░░ or cold don t ░░░░░░░░ them in you keep ░░░░░░░░ at home and take ░░░░░░░░ of that child I ░░░░░░░░ for a fact that ░░░░░░░░ are women who if ░░░░░░░░ had the ability to ░░░░░░░░ leave would maintain their ░░░░░░░░ but because they don ░░░░░░░░ and because of the ░░░░░░░░ care and this is ░░░░░░░░ another platform that we ░░░░░░░░ provide as a country ░░░░░░░░ sensitivity to the need ░░░░░░░░ child care in America ░░░░░░░░ last question is to ░░░░░░░░ Kelley the temporary paid ░░░░░░░░ measures for federal employees ░░░░░░░░ members I know that ░░░░░░░░ do you believe that ░░░░░░░░ employees who have now ░░░░░░░░ guaranteed paid parental leave ░░░░░░░░ been able to take ░░░░░░░░ of this emergency temporary ░░░░░░░░ paid leave demonstrates that ░░░░░░░░ need to make this ░░░░░░░░ KELLEY Did you say ░░░░░░░░ Kelley or Mr Kelley ░░░░░░░░ Mr Kelly I m ░░░░░░░░ KELLEY OK All right ░░░░░░░░ I certainly think that ░░░░░░░░ know it demonstrates that ░░░░░░░░ need to make this ░░░░░░░░ because you know we ░░░░░░░░ heard more than I ░░░░░░░░ I don t know ░░░░░░░░ many stories I ve ░░░░░░░░ of how much has ░░░░░░░░ a benefit to have ░░░░░░░░ paid leave right And ░░░░░░░░ and so it tells ░░░░░░░░ that if we were ░░░░░░░░ make it permanent then ░░░░░░░░ is definitely going to ░░░░░░░░ boosted because the employees ░░░░░░░░ happy for the measures ░░░░░░░░ the lawmakers took And ░░░░░░░░ their well being considered ░░░░░░░░ family and all of ░░░░░░░░ things that meant so ░░░░░░░░ to them and to ░░░░░░░░ something permanently in place ░░░░░░░░ I think would only ░░░░░░░░ the right message LAWRENCE ░░░░░░░░ you Mr Kelley and ░░░░░░░░ me for using the ░░░░░░░░ wrong title KELLEY It ░░░░░░░░ OK LAWRENCE I just ░░░░░░░░ to say to everyone ░░░░░░░░ employees are the backbones ░░░░░░░░ this country And when ░░░░░░░░ hear discussions about them ░░░░░░░░ too much you don ░░░░░░░░ say that when they ░░░░░░░░ everything to keep this ░░░░░░░░ running our democracy our ░░░░░░░░ our our services that ░░░░░░░░ provide that makes us ░░░░░░░░ Thank you and I ░░░░░░░░ back.”