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Alaskan Congressman Don Young voted today in favor of H.R. 5781, the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act of 2008. This bill will provide four weeks of paid leave to Federal Employees for the birth or adoption of a child. Currently the federal government does not offer any paid time off specifically to care for infants or newly adopted children. For an employee to take off for parental leave, they must have accrued annual and sick leave, in order to receive a paycheck. The Federal Government is currently the nation’s largest employer with over 1.8 million employees.

"Nothing is more important to me than my family," said Rep. Young, "and I strongly believe that the American family is the backbone of our institution. My two daughters have fourteen children between them and the time they spend with those children is important. Every American family should have the option of staying home with a new child and bonding with that child. Mothers need time to recover from childbirth and both mothers and father alike need time to adjust to having a new child around.

"Providing paid leave to these new parents is way overdue. If the U.S. Government is going to retain the strong and talented workforce they have now, they have to be able to offer benefits that aid the families that work for them. And I especially think it is important that this policy covers both men and women; as a father I can testify that men are also involved in the caretaking of their children, and should be given the opportunity to do so. I am proud to be a part of anything that strengthens our families, and I think this is an important step in doing that."

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