Senator Kirsten Gillibrand was in Owego yesterday to discuss a new bit of legislation she is introducing. Gillibrand stopped by the Parkview Restaurant on Front Street to join community members and leaders for lunch, and also to talk about the Family and Medical Insurance Leave, or FAMILY Act. The Act would ensure that American workers not have to sacrifice getting paid at work in order to take care of a child or loved one in need of medical attention. Senator Gillibrand spoke about the dilemma in which many families find themselves.
She also discussed the sacrifices that many of those women often have to make.
The FAMILY Act, which would apply to men and women alike, would be funded by a percentage of workers’ wages, similar to how Social Security is funded. Employees and employers would both make contributions of 0.2 percent of wages to create the program, a number that the Senator says is about the cost of one cup of coffee per week.
