AOC claims dogs are treated better than new mothers in attack on paid family leave, says they get more time with their puppies
WASHINGTON: Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, on December 10, called for the general length of parental leave in the US to be extended from six weeks to three months, saying that the "market treats people worse than dogs".
The New York Representative made the statement while speaking on paid leave and medical leave during the House Oversight and Reform Committee's meet on December 10 as she called out the lack of federal support for new parents.
AOC, in an exchange with policy think tank New America's Vicki Shabo, said: "Do we know how long puppies are allowed to stay with their mothers after a dog has given birth?" After Shabo smiled and said that she did not know, the Congresswoman responded saying that it is recommended that dogs have eight weeks with their newborns before they are rehomed.
"So the market has decided that women and people who give birth deserve less time with their children than a dog," Ocasio-Cortez concluded. "I think that that, at its core, has shown that the market has failed to treat people with dignity and basic respect. So when that happens, I think it's our job as the public to redefine the rules of society and to treat people who give birth with the dignity they deserve," the Daily Mail reported. She later added that ideally, she wants a year of paid leave for parents.
Congress, on December 6, had agreed that federal employees would be given the proposed benefits in exchange for the Trump admin's Space Force becoming the sixth branch of the military. However, now both chambers are required to pass the move that would give nearly 2 million workers 12 weeks of paid leave while they look after their newborn or a newly-adopted child.
The Congresswoman also took her parental leave analogy to Twitter on Tuesday, writing: "Puppies aren't separated from their moms until ~8 weeks. Less than that is thought of as harmful or abusive. One of the most common lengths of US paid family leave is ~6 weeks. So yes, when we 'let the market decide' on parental leave, 'the market' treats people worse than dogs."
"At a bare minimum, we need to fight for 3 months paid family leave in the United States. Ideally, I believe we should have 6-12 months of paid leave — just as many other industrial nations do," she added.
The Democrat socialist, during the hearing, also said that she offered her staff three months of paid paternal leave, and that six of her staff members took parental/medical leave in her first year in office, and five out of the members were men.