Working Families Need Paid Leave, Not A Loan

Why Congress Must Reject the Cassidy-Sinema Bill

The “Advancing Support for Working Families Act” — introduced in early December by Senators Bill Cassidy and Kyrsten Sinema — is a harmful proposal disguised as “paid leave” that merely offers a loan. By requiring parents to borrow from their future child tax credit in order to access funds, the bill would create a burdensome debt for working families, especially for low income households.

The proposal is also extremely limited in scope: it only applies to parents of new children, excluding workers caring for a loved one with a serious illness or disability, and includes no medical leave for one’s own health needs.

Furthermore, the plan offers no job protected time away from work — a crucial part of any paid leave plan that ensures workers can take the time they need to care for their loved ones, without risking their economic security.

Working families need the real, comprehensive paid leave program offered by The FAMILY Act — the model voters prefer. The FAMILY Act would provide workers with 12 weeks of paid leave to care for a new child, loved one, or one’s own health needs. We’ve seen how successful this model has been for families in the eight states (and in D.C.) that have already passed laws of their own.

We urge Congress to reject harmful proposals disguised as paid leave like this one, and to pass paid family and medical leave that works for all.