Clinton wishes happy Mother's Day and promotes parental leave

Posted By P.J. Aroon Friday, May 7, 2010 - 10:46 PM Share

 

Mother's Day is this Sunday, and today Secretary Clinton announced, "Happy Mother’s Day to all of the proud parents of the State Department." (I'm sure daughter Chelsea and husband Bill will have a surprise for Clinton on Sunday.)

In her message, Clinton also recommitted the State Department to providing its employees with better parental-leave policies, saying:

I'm recommitting the State Department to do all we can to support parents, especially new mothers and fathers. We will continue to do all we can to advance paid sick leave to new mothers recuperating from childbirth, family members caring for the mother, as well as those caring for a newborn with a serious ailment or disability, and the employees that are in the process of the adoption efforts that I know can be so difficult."

and:

It's not enough to just talk about the importance of family -- our policies must reflect our commitment and our values."

And before I depart for the weekend, here's a photo of Clinton yesterday as she left the Capitol after briefing senators on the new START Treaty (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) signed last month with Russia.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

 

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

EXPLORE:HILLARY, STATE DEPARTMENT, WOMEN
 

VAZIR MUKHTAR

3:00 PM ET

May 8, 2010

Parental leave

I applaud Sectretary Clinton's affirmation of providing parental leave. I do not know the conditions under which the time for such leave is accumlated, but strongly believe that State Department and other federal employees who take such leave contribute to it's cost beyond having worked so many hours to earn so many hours of leave.

All benefits which employers, public or private, provide cost those employers. In the case of public employees especially, I believe the cost of any leave should be borne in part by the employee taking leave, other than, obviously, Leave Without Pay (LWOP). Their contribution should be large enough to cover the cost of record keeping; it needn't be any larger.

Our federal government does not make money (other than having the Bureau of Engraving and Printing produce it). It derives its funds from taxes and by borrowing. All of us receiving federal benefits should be contributing money toward the cost of those benefits. In these cases I consider the work a federal employee performs something like an in-kind contribution.

I submit that all citizens should understand that is we who fund the government. The government cannot give us anything for free. As citizens in a republican democracy, even though we elect representatives to act in our interest and in our behalf, we must recognize that we are self-governing and are responsible for the acts and costs of our government.

 

Madam Secretary is an obsessive blog about all things Hillary Clinton. From her policies to her pantsuits, Madam Secretary delivers up-to-the-minute news, analysis, and gossip about America's top diplomat.