Rep. Rosa DeLauro: Founding Fathers Would Support Democrats’ Push for Family Leave

EXCERPT:

DeLAURO: “And as I reflect on this time, and I had this thought while I was sitting there at the White House the other day, and not after listening to remarkable speeches by President Clinton and President Biden, but of being in that room and being in that room with individuals who 30 years ago -- 30 years ago -- understood that what families needed, what was going on in the lives of American families, and yes, more for women at that time than men, but understanding that men could take advantage of this as well, but understanding that the federal government have the ability, the strength, the power to be transformative in the lives of families, change their lives for the better, make sure that they could be where they were needed, where they were needed. And that spoke so clearly and loud to me of what it takes to be leaders, what it takes to transform our society, and that that’s what this is all about. That’s what that vision and collective vision and engaging the power of the federal government and coming together from the outside and the inside and making something happen that has transformed people’s lives. That is what government is about. That’s what our Founding Fathers knew -- there were mothers, too, probably, but that’s what they believed, that we should press the edge of that envelope, to make the institution do what it is supposed to do to give opportunity for people and their lives.”