While US Lags on Paid Maternity Leave, Some States Make Progress

While the United States is the only developed country in the world that does not offer paid maternity leave for new mothers, both of the current Democratic presidential candidates support a national standard of 12 weeks of paid family leave. It’s not a new proposal, though. President Barack Obama called for it in his 2015 State of the Union Address, but it drew quick opposition from some Republicans in Congress. Still, there has been some progress at the state level . New York is one of three states that’s not waiting for a federal maternity leave law. VOA’s Anush Avetisyan has more in this report narrated by Joy Wagner.