PRESS RELEASE
September 20, 1996

FIRST LADY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
TO DISCUSS FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE ACT
IN CONNECTICUT ON SEPTEMBER 24, 1996

Washington, D.C. -- First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton will be in New London, Connecticut on Tuesday, September 24, to highlight President Clinton’s commitment to working families through the Family and Medical Leave Act. Congressman Sam Gejdenson will join Mrs. Clinton at a discussion with families who have benefited from the legislation. During the visit, Mrs. Clinton will also stress the President’s commitment to expand the Family and Medical Leave Act in a second term.

The Family and Medical Leave Act was the first bill signed into law by President Clinton. The Act allows workers at businesses with 50 or more employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to care for a newborn or adopted child, to attend to their own serious health needs, or to care for a seriously ill parent, child, or spouse.

Connecticut is a leading proponent of family leave legislation, having passed a state law in 1989. A total of 670,000 workers are eligible for family leave in Connecticut under the national Family and Medical Leave Act. Since President Clinton signed the bill into law in February of 1993, employees across America have taken more than 12 million job-protected leaves.

On Tuesday, Clinton-Gore ‘96 will highlight 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.

A detailed schedule of the First Lady’s events in Connecticut will be available on Monday, September 23.

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