06.28.18

Senator Cantwell Welcomes Coast Guard Announcement of Expanded Paid Family Leave Policy

WASHINGTON D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) welcomed the U.S. Coast Guard’s announcement of an expanded paid family leave policy:

“The United States Coast Guard has the most diverse workforce in the US military, with nearly 40 percent of the Academy comprised of women. They know they must continue to expand and modernize personnel benefits to recruit, support, and retain a world-class workforce. The modernized family leave policies announced today help ensure that anyone entering the service will have the support they need to excel on the job. I am proud to have worked with the Coast Guard to support Coasties and their families, including same-sex couples, adoptive parents, and secondary caregivers.”

Senator Cantwell has a long history of working for family leave for Coast Guard members:

  • In 2015, Senator Cantwell’s amendment to the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2015 ensured that Coast Guard mothers were not receiving less maternity leave than their counterparts in other branches of the military. Cantwell’s amendment resulted in a tripling of paid maternity leave, from six weeks to 18 weeks.
  • In March of 2017, Senator Cantwell wrote a letter to the then-Coast Guard Commandant advocating for an expansion of family leave policies to include benefits for same-sex couples, dual military couples, and adoptive parents.
  • Earlier this year, Senator Cantwell pressed the new Coast Guard Commandant, Admiral Karl Schultz, to prioritize expanding family leave policies at his confirmation hearing.

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