Being your fighter in Congress keeps me going every day, and this week I had the opportunity to fight for our friends and neighbors that currently serve or have served in our nation’s Armed Force.
In that mission, we achieved two critical victories this week – passing my bipartisan bill to expand parental leave for military parents and raising the pay for servicemembers. I also met with Iowa educational leaders to discuss improving education for all Iowa students.
I’m excited to share that the Reserve Component Parental Leave Parity Act – a bipartisan bill that I introduced with my colleague Jeff Jackson – passed in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) this past week:
This legislation will support America’s National Guard and Reserve members, along with their families, by:
- Expanding parental leave eligibility for parents serving in the drilling Reserve and National Guard to ensure all parents have leave.
- Addressing the disparity under current law that gives active duty members leave but excludes the Reserve and National Guard.
As a father and a veteran, I know we have more to do to support our military moms and dads. This legislation is a step in the right direction. Next stop: the Senate!