Clinton/Gore '96





PRESS RELEASE
September 24, 1996

BACKGROUND ON THE FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE ACT

"The Family and Medical Leave Law... allows parents time off for birth or adoption of a child, or for family emergencies, without fear that they will lose their jobs. Already it has helped 12 million families -- and it hasn’t hurt the economy one bit. Bill and I are fortunate that our jobs have allowed us to take breaks from work, not only when Chelsea was born but to attend her school events and take her to the doctor. But millions of other parents can’t get time off.

"That’s why my husband wants to expand the Family and Medical Leave Law so that parents can take time off for their doctors appointments and parent-teacher conferences."

-- Hillary Rodham Clinton
Democratic National Convention
August 27, 1996

Family and Medical Leave ensures that working families don’t have to choose between the jobs they need and the families they love. Because of family and medical leave, working families do not face losing their jobs at the time when they need them most -- when they have newborn or newly adopted children, when they need to care for seriously ill children, spouses, or parents, and when they need to recover from their own serious illnesses.

Family and Medical Leave has helped millions of American working families.

Family and Medical Leave has not created significant costs or burdens on business; it has even improved productivity at some companies.

President’s Clinton’s vision: to help working families who need family and medical leave even more.

Today Clinton-Gore ‘96 is highlighting the law nationwide. Four years ago on this same date, then-Republican Leader Bob Dole cast his vote to uphold President Bush’s veto of the Family and Medical Leave Act. Forty-four events are taking place across the country to highlight President Clinton’s commitment to America’s working families.

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Paid for by Clinton/Gore ’96 General Election Committee, Inc.