House Approves Paid Parental Leave for Federal Workers

The U.S. House of Representatives on Dec. 11 passed a paid parental leave provision for qualifying federal employees. The Senate is expected to approve the measure, which would then be sent to President Donald Trump for signature. The leave provision is part of a defense spending bill and was reportedly added in exchange for making "Space Force" a new branch of the U.S. military, according to The Washington Post. Military service members already may take 12 weeks of paid leave to care for a new child, and under this bill, 2.1 million civilian federal workers also would be able to take paid leave to care for a new baby after birth, adoption or the start of foster care. "Parents finally will be able to have a child without worrying about their paychecks coming to a halt," said Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-New York.