Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) told Lenny (a newsletter and website started by Golden Globe winner Lena Dunham) that she hopes newly minted House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) will re-evaluate his stance on family leave.
“I think it’s great that he wants to spend time with his family. I think all parents want to spend time with their family,” Gillibrand told Lenny’s editor Jessica Grose as a part of their Friday interview series. “But for low-wage workers, that’s not always possible.”
Gillibrand said the importance of mandating sick days, a higher minimum wage and paid leave “really matter” to all workers, but to low-wage workers who have limited control over their schedules, these are critical.
“Paul Ryan has a huge salary, and he has more than enough resources. So I would hope that his instinct and desire to spend time with his family could be replicated in family policies across the board that allow all workers to have some family time, not just the most affluent, and not just the lucky few who happen to be the next Speaker of the House,” Gillibrand told Lenny.
