MSN - AP World http://syn2.thecanadianpress.com:8080/mrss/feed/fcf7391a2f354311807f0501c16bde6a MSN - AP World Copyright © 2010-2018 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved. http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Wed, 29 Nov 2023 22:37:00 +0000 Biden, Clinton mark 3 decades of Family Leave Act http://syn2.thecanadianpress.com:8080/mrss/feed/fcf7391a2f354311807f0501c16bde6a/ca63db58a4e2446b93b6763f26b1ee52 ca63db58a4e2446b93b6763f26b1ee52 Thu, 02 Feb 2023 21:35:57 +0000 SHOTLIST:RESTRICTION SUMMARY:US NETWORK POOLWashington, DC - 2 February 20231. Pan, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, President Joe Biden and former President Bill Clinton walk into East Room2. UPSOUND (English) Bill Clinton, Former U.S. President:"Somewhere, I'm supposed to have some notes here. These are the President Biden's notes. (Biden: Why don't you deliver mine?) Why don't I just give your speech and you can give mine? I found it. "3. SOUNDBITE (English) Bill Clinton, Former U.S. President:"I'm very grateful to President Biden for many things, but I thank him for asking me back to the White House. To celebrate 30 years of the Family and Medical Leave Act. "4. Side, Clinton speaking and Biden crossing himself as Clinton mentions age5. SOUNDBITE (English) Bill Clinton, Former U.S. President:"In a situation like that, both the society and its political leaders look utterly hypocritical, if they say, oh, there's nothing more important than raising children. Well, how about a little help to do it? Well, we can't do that."6. Side cutaway of Clinton speaking7. SOUNDBITE (English) Bill Clinton, Former U.S. President:"After all these years, I still have more people mention the Family Leave Act to me than any other specific things I did. And no one ever talks about what gets all the press coverage. You know, the political process. How long did it take? Who got derailed? What went up? What went down? Nobody. They tell you their story. That's when you know, for good or ill, that we have united the country."8. Side, Biden speaking about Clinton9. SOUNDBITE (English) Joe Biden, U.S. President:"Look, the legislation we celebrate today was an incredibly important step, but a first step. And United States, still one of our only countries in the world that doesn't guarantee paid leave ... when the only countries in the world that doesn't ... look as a result, 94% of our lowest wage workers, mostly women and workers of color, have no paid family leave at all, 94%. Meaning you can only take time to care for your loved one if you cannot afford to give up your salary. I remain committed to changing that and bringing into line with every single other major economy in the world by passing a national program of paid leave and medical leave."10. Wide, standing ovationSTORYLINE:President Joe Biden hosted former President Bill Clinton at the White House on Thursday, marking the 30th anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act.That was the first piece of legislation that the 42nd president signed into law after taking office in 1993.Introducing Clinton to a White House audience, Vice President Kamala Harris, insisted that "in America, in the 21st century, every worker should be able to take time off to care for themselves or for the people they love."  Biden and Clinton took part in the event put the spotlight on legislation that guaranteed many American workers up to 12 unpaid weeks off to recover from major illness or childbirth or to take care of sick family members. Clinton signed the bill into law on Feb. 5, 1993."Both the society and its political leaders look utterly hypocritical, if they say, oh, there's nothing more important than raising children," Clinton said, adding then refusing to help families in need."After all these years," Clinton said, "I still have more people mention the Family Leave Act to me than any other specific things I did."Biden championed but failed to win support for paid leave for workers in 2021. On Thursday, he signed a memorandum that calls on heads of federal agencies to support access to unpaid family and medical leave for federal workers in their first year on the job. Workers aren't entitled to unpaid leave under the law until they've been employed for a year. Biden said he remained committed to bringing the United States "into line with every single other major economy in the world by passing a national program of paid leave and medical leave."The president is also directing the Office of Personnel Management to provide recommendations on developing policies so workers can get paid and unpaid leave to seek safety or recover from domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault or stalking. Such situations are not covered by the family leave law.Early in 2021, Biden proposed vastly expanding the family leave law to give workers up to 12 weeks of paid parental, family and personal illness leave and to ensure workers get three days of bereavement leave per year as part of a massive $3.5 trillion social spending plan.Paid family leave didn't make it into the slimmed-down climate and health care legislation that Biden signed into law in August.A group of Democratic lawmakers have announced they were reintroducing legislation to establish paid family leave and other updates to the law. The current federal leave law doesn't apply to a huge swath of the U.S. work force.===========================================================Clients are reminded: (i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: info@aparchive.com(ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service (iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory. Biden, Clinton mark 3 decades of Family Leave Act