By U.S. Senator Deb Fischer and U.S. Representative Randy Feenstra
Omaha World-Herald

U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and U.S. Representative Randy Feenstra (IA-04) penned an op-ed in the Omaha World-Herald urging Congress to pass their Paid Family and Medical Leave Tax Credit Extension and Enhancement Act to make the Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) Employer Tax Credit permanent, helping companies of all sizes offer PFML plans to their employees.

Click here to read the op-ed in full or read an excerpt below:

“Every year, millions of Americans welcome a newborn into the world, care for loved ones who require additional support, or need time to recover from a medical condition themselves. These common, yet challenging, life events often demand more time spent at home, making it difficult to maintain a routine work schedule and, in turn, creating financial uncertainty under already stressful and unpredictable circumstances. Having a child, tending to a family member, or prioritizing personal health and wellbeing should not force workers to miss a paycheck or lose their job entirely.

“Sen. Fischer first created a remedy for this dilemma in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Her provision, the first nationwide paid leave policy in America’s history, aimed to alleviate anxiety for working families. This provision benefitted both employers and employees by offering small businesses in Iowa, Nebraska, and across the country a tax credit for voluntarily providing up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave (PFML) to their workers. Instead of quitting their jobs, workers could take paid leave as necessary, and instead of losing talented employees, small businesses could retain a strong workforce without breaking the bank. Recognizing the success of this policy, Congress extended this credit through the end of 2025 several years ago, but time is running short. If Congress fails to act quickly, this lifeline for both workers and small businesses will soon expire indefinitely.

“That’s why we introduced legislation — the Paid Family and Medical Leave Tax Credit Extension and Enhancement Act — to make this important tax credit for small businesses permanent and hope to see it included in any year-end tax package that Congress considers. In our conversations with business owners back home, the urgent need to make this tax provision permanent is clear. But even the hard data underscores the importance of our bill…”