“We seem to have this view that paid family leave is some sort of touchy-feely women’s only policy,” [Sen.] Duckworth said. “This isn’t just an entitlement. It’s really an economic imperative for our nation.”

Having enough time to establish a breastfeeding relationship prior to returning to work represents one of a multitude of reasons why paid family medical leave is an issue central to the health of New Mexican families.

Jody Heymann, the study’s senior author, says it’s clear that if the U.S. implemented a program aligning with the study’s findings, “families would be less likely to fall into poverty, women would have better economic outcomes in terms of their earnings, which contributes to family earnings, and the U.S. would be every bit as able to compete and have as low an unemployment rate.”

When you look at the people who are able to take unpaid leave with the FMLA, more than three-quarters must do so to care for their own health or that of a seriously ill family member. We need a national policy that covers everyone.