Helping Their Own, But Not All

On the same topic as the previous post, a serious and thoughtful article in today's NY Times Op-Ed by author Jennifer Senior.

The U.S. is the only industrialized nation without a paid maternity policy.  President Obama has called for a law requiring 6 weeks paid leave.  Our current so-called Maternity and Family Leave law provides 12 weeks, unpaid.  The GOP feels that's more than sufficient.

Ms. Senior wrote to all 100 U.S. Senate offices and asked how each Senator handled parental leave.  Only 26 answered -- 15 D's, 9 R's, and 2 independents -- and all provided some level of paid leave.  In some cases, Republican Senators offered better deals.  As an example, Lamar Alexander (R-TN) gives 12 weeks of paid leave, while Chris Coons (D-DE) offers 10 weeks.

She writes, "In their own offices, Republicans are often very generous with federal money, giving their own staffs plenty of compensated time. When confronted with the life challenges of their own personnel, these elected officials all believe paid time is in order."

But when it comes to actual policy and law-making to cover everyone -- the private sector as well as the public -- these same GOP stalwarts go all weak-kneed and mush-mouthed and play their same old tune:  Business must decide for itself;  It's an issue best left to the states;  The cost is a jobs-killer.  
Yada, yada, yada.

Thanks, R's!  Selfishly unhelpful, as usual.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/25/opinion/sunday/generous-republican-benefits.html?ref=opinion