Sen. Joni Ernst introduces plans for paid family leave through retirement deferral

Iowa U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst proposed new parental leave legislation Tuesday, which would let new parents take paid time off to care for their children by delaying retirement.

Ernst and Utah Sen. Mike Lee, a fellow Republican, announced what they are calling the “Cradle Act.” It would provide family leave letting new parents draw from their Social Security funds to take time off from work.

"Helping families is something we can all agree upon," Ernst, of Red Oak, said. "I hope we can have a productive dialogue on how Congress can best help them."

While there are different ways to approach the issue, it is one that's gained prominence in recent years. Several Democrats running for president have proposed paid family leave plans that would be funded through a new tax. Ernst also noted that President Donald Trump highlighted paid family leave in his State of the Union address last year.

Children have fewer mental health, developmental and other problems if they have full-time caregivers available in the first few weeks and months of infancy, according to research from the National Institute of Health.

The United States is one of the few high-income countries that does not provide paid family leave.

“Many moms and dads, if given the opportunity to spend that time with a newborn … it’s a long-term benefit for that child,” Ernst said. “Many parents would be willing to do that.”

Under current law, employers with 50 workers must guarantee 12 weeks of leave to care for family members, like a new child or an ill relative. The guaranteed leave does not need to be paid. While the “Cradle Act” guarantees pay for new parents, employers would still not be required to provide paid family leave.

Lee said the proposal would not be "a tax on every individual or every employer," but a choice for individual workers. The current proposal would allow parents to choose how much time they take off, up to the 12 weeks currently guaranteed unpaid.

"Anyone can choose whether or not to participate in the program," Lee said. "It is a trade-off, but a trade-off many will be willing to take."

But Democrats have other ideas: Many would like to see a new program to guarantee paid leave, without reducing benefits in other areas.

Presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a prominent family leave proponent, proposed legislation for 12 weeks of paid family leave from a 0.2% payroll tax. The bill is co-sponsored by other prominent Democrats, including Sens. Cory Booker and Elizabeth Warren, who are also running to be the 2020 Democratic nominee.

Trump also called for providing six weeks of paid family leave in this year's budget proposal. The president has not announced plans for how the paid leave program would operate.

Ernst said she planned to work with the president, his daughter Ivanka Trump and other legislators moving forward. The Cradle Act is still in draft form, she said, which means they're looking for feedback.

"I’m glad to see that members of the House and Senate from both sides of the aisle are paying attention to this issue," she said, "recognizing that moms and dads across this country are trying to figure out how to ensure their babies are well cared for and nurtured in those precious first few weeks of life."