Higher Wages, Healthier Children, and Time Off

Finally, a small bit of good news has come out of the Iraq war: Last week, before Congress recessed for August (the "Summer District Work Period" is how it's described on the U.S. House of Representatives Calendar), the Senate approved an expansion of the Family and Medical Leave Act to allow the family of wounded military personnel to take up to six months of unpaid leave without losing their jobs. Current law -- the same that allows for unpaid maternity leave -- allows only 12 weeks. One of the more heart-wrenching back stories of the war has been families forced to choose between caring for injured veterans (often in military hospitals far from home) and keeping their jobs.

In the last week of work, Congress improved "balance" in our lives in other important ways, according to a Reuters recap yesterday. "We have made more progress in the last seven days than previous congresses made in the last seven years," Democratic leaders boasted, according to Reuters.

The first minimum wage increase in a decade went into effect in July, helping our country's lowest paid workers. The 70 cent increase to $5.85 an hour was pitifully small, especially when you wonder how a working mother can pay for child care, food, rent and other necessities if her gross wages are less than $50 for an eight-hour work day. But 70 cents marks a victory, given that Republicans had blocked any increase when they controlled Congress.

The House and Senate also passed different versions of a Children's Health Bill to expand health insurance coverage for between three and four million low-income American children not poor enough to qualify for Medicaid. President Bush has threatened to veto either version, but bipartisan support is strong enough that Democrats may be able to override him.

Healthy children. A decent living. Flexibility to care for your family when they most need you.

These seem like fairly basic requests to me.

What do you think? If you could pass a bill in Congress, what would you ask for? What more can our government do to help us all find balance in our lives?

By Leslie Morgan Steiner |  August 8, 2007; 7:00 AM ET  | Category:  Moms in the News
Previous: Are You The Other Mother? | Next: Getting Rid of Time Sinks

Name:

Comments: