Sean Patrick Maloney: “I know that many of you are scratching your heads and wondering how this bill can be PAYGO neutral. It is easy to…”

“I know that many of you are scratching your heads and wondering how this bill can be PAYGO neutral. It is easy to explain. The $190 million is the amount that the agencies currently save on salaries when Federal employees who have a new child take their unpaid leave, as they are entitled to under the Family and Medical Leave Act. After we implement H.R. 5781, it will be up to the Federal agencies to implement this new benefit and whether they will ask for increased appropriations in the future. But let's remember, right now Federal employees who have a child bear both the burden of going without pay during family and medical leave, as well as coping with their new family expenses. This is an opportunity for us to put action behind our rhetoric on family values. I urge strong bipartisan support. It is supported by Tom Davis on the other side of the aisle, the ranking member of the Government Reform and Oversight Committee which considered and reported out this bill. And I thank Chairman Waxman and many others for their strong support.”