Judd Gregg: “Senator Feingold has offered an amendment intended to help military families who have a family member activated in…”

“Senator Feingold has offered an amendment intended to help military families who have a family member activated in support of a contingency operation. First of all, I make it clear that all of us want to assist families placed in the difficult position of operating with one family member called to duty. That is why the underlying bill contains provisions such as permanently increasing the Family Separation Allowance, FSA, payable to deployed servicemen and women with dependents up to $250 a month. But the proposal made by Senator Feingold to expand the Family Medical Leave Act is not the right approach. I rise to offer an alternative proposal as a second-degree amendment. The amendment I am offering today presents military families a much better method for obtaining the flexibility they may need to prepare for activation and to keep the family running while a family member is called to duty. The Feingold amendment would offer some employees unpaid leave. My amendment will offer paid leave.”