Mom and baby together.
President Joe Biden has been pushing for maternity leave regarding pregnancy for years, but many political officials who served during the Trump administration were surprised to find that their maternity leave benefits ended with Biden’s inauguration.
According to Trump-appointed political officials interviewed by Politico, despite the Trump Administration‘s approval of paid maternity leave, they were denied when they asked Biden’s team for a continuation. The White House said they should not continue the benefit.
While federal employees appointed by the president usually leave at the end of that administration, some stay on. And Trump employees say they were told the new administration would honor its promise about maternity leave, only to learn at the last minute, after Biden was sworn in, that it was over.
Vanessa Ambrosini, a former deputy communications director at the Commerce Department, told Politico that she welcomed a baby a week before Christmas last year and that she and her husband were looking forward to three months of maternity leave. The Commerce Department’s Office of Human Resources also signed off on her taking maternity leave from early January through the end of March. But then she was surprised to find out that the benefit was no longer available due to the change in administration.
Ambrosini said the day before her baby was born, on Dec. 17, she was told her maternity leave would end when Biden was sworn in.
“I was totally screwed.” Ambrosini said in an interview, “There was no caveat that said if the government changes, you don’t get maternity leave. Of course, that happened, so I didn’t get anything.”
A couple working at Trump’s Department of Homeland Security said their baby was born early on Dec. 18 and were told 2 weeks later that their maternity leave would not be honored in full.
The couple said, “We’re both employed by the government, so we lose both access to health care and two incomes, so it’s scary to have a preemie in the house because there’s no telling if there will be income or health insurance.”
“It’s not what you want to hear, but I think you know that’s the most likely outcome.” A Biden official told them in an email they shared with Politico, “I’m sorry to be the bearer of this news and I’m sorry I have no other news.”
Paid maternity leave for federal employees only went into effect last October, after they had no paid maternity leave and often had to use unused vacation and sick leave after the birth of a child, or simply forgo pay.
Biden, who has highly praised the paid maternity leave law, tweeted that it was Time for federal employees to get paid maternity leave to address their own health needs or to care for their loved ones.
Kash Patel, former chief of staff to acting U.S. Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller, spoke on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures” with Maria Bartiromo, host of Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” said the unity Biden has promoted is “garbage. Patel said his staff was fired as soon as the new administration took office, including those on maternity and paternity leave.
Top story ParamountNashik: @Rothbard1776: ‘BREAKING: Kash Patel Interview w/ @MariaBartiromo. The Biden Administration terminated his employees, including those who were on MATERNITY & PATERNITY leave, b/c they were ap… pic.twitter.com/ xPr4IeRV9a, see more https://t.co/6EXcKV8Kis
- Paramount Enterprises, Nashik -spot welding expert (@paramountnashik) January 31, 2021
Biden’s CCP viral relief proposal includes paid leave and childcare subsidies, but that treatment apparently won’t apply to outgoing Trump administration federal employees.
Recent Comments