Senate Sends Omnibus To House; Breastfeeding And Pregnant Worker Amendments Added
Senators cleared the $1.7 trillion spending bill Thursday. Two health policy amendments were added: the PUMP Act which expands breastfeeding time and space protections for more nursing workers; and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act which requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations for medical conditions arising from pregnancy and childbirth.
Politico:
Senate Clears $1.7T Government Funding Bill
The Senate passed a $1.7 trillion government funding bill on Thursday in a 68-29 vote, sending the package to the House for approval on Friday. Before the bill cleared the upper chamber, senators voted to add more than a half-dozen amendments to the bill, including major policy provisions that would expand federal protections for pregnant workers and nursing mothers, in addition to helping 9/11 families. The entire chamber also gave a bipartisan standing ovation to the top two retiring appropriators, Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), for successfully negotiating one last spending deal to cap off their lengthy careers. (Emma and Carney, 12/22)
Fast Company:
Senate Votes On Pregnant Workers Fairness And PUMP Acts
The Senate has voted to include the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act as an amendment to Congress’s 2023 omnibus spending package. The vote on Thursday was 73 to 24, meaning it garnered significant bipartisan support. And in another surprise—also with bipartisan support—the Senate voted to include the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers, or PUMP, Act as an amendment to the package. Both proposals have been championed by workers’ rights advocates as a significant step forward. (Rainey, 12/22)
Forbes:
Senate Passes Two Bills For Pregnant And Breastfeeding Moms At Work
The PUMP Act for nursing mothers requires organizations to provide time and space for breastfeeding parents. The Affordable Care Act of 2010 already requires that employers provide reasonable time to express breast milk and provide a place for pumping, other than the bathroom, that is shielded from view and private. But the previous pumping law excluded most salaried employees, and the PUMP Act will extend these rights to all breastfeeding employees for the first year of the baby’s life. In addition, the new bill states, “Further, time spent to express breast milk must be considered hours worked if the employee is also working.” (Elsesser, 12/22)
Axios:
Senate Passes Protections For Pregnant Workers And New Mothers
It's a major milestone for women's workplace civil rights. Advocates have pushed for protections for pregnant workers for over a decade, arguing that thousands of women lose their jobs each year — either fired or placed on unpaid leave — because employers are under no obligation to offer pregnant workers reasonable accommodations. Those would include things like extra bathroom breaks, the ability to sit while working a cash register or restrictions on how much weight they can lift. (Peck, 12/22)
CBS News:
Omnibus Bill Includes Changes To Federal Drug Treatment Programs
A portion of the $1.7 trillion in the federal government's proposed omnibus bill will go to opioid treatment programs, as the U.S. continues to see high rates of substance use and overdose deaths. The bill was passed by the Senate Thursday, and now heads to the House. (Breen, 12/22)
The Hill:
These Are The Last-Minute Changes The Senate Made To The $1.7 Trillion Omnibus
The Senate voted 73-24 to adopt an amendment brought by Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) to attach the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act to the omnibus. A release from the office of Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), who has also been pushing for the legislation, said the bill follows a model similar to the Americans with Disabilities Act and would “require employers to make reasonable accommodations to allow pregnant workers to continue working safely, such as additional bathroom breaks, light duty, or a stool to sit on if a worker stands all day.” (Folley, 12/22)
Reuters:
U.S. Senate Passes Increased Protections For Pregnant Workers
President Joe Biden, a Democrat, is expected to sign the spending bill ahead of a midnight Friday deadline if it passes the House. Biden has supported the PWFA, saying last year that many pregnant workers are unfairly forced to choose between their health and their jobs. (Wiessner, 12/22)
In other news —
The Wall Street Journal:
White House Looks At Benefits To Lure Americans Back Into Workforce
Top White House economic officials are considering a renewed push for a suite of policies aimed at luring more Americans back to work, including enhanced child- care and eldercare benefits, as they hammer out priorities for the coming year. ... Many economists argue that increasing child-care benefits will help the U.S. catch up with other countries, which have higher workforce-participation rates among women in their prime working years. (Linskey, 12/20)
