Senate Filibuster Kills Family Bill : Democrats Vow to Reintroduce Plan for Parental Leave, Child-Care Aid

Legislation that would have guaranteed unpaid job leaves for parents of sick or newborn children, one of the chief social initiatives pushed by Democrats in Congress this year, died Friday when the Senate failed to end a Republican filibuster against the controversial measure.

But its sponsors vowed to reintroduce the bill next year, saying that support for the concept of mandatory parental leave was growing nationwide.

“This is an idea whose time has come,” said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), one of the chief sponsors of the bill, which was opposed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other business groups. “It will keep coming back until this chamber takes the right action.”

On a key procedural vote, Senate Democratic leaders fell short of the 60 votes needed to cut off debate on the measure, which would also have provided expanded child-care benefits and tougher criminal penalties for persons who produce child pornography.

Vote Was Last Chance

With Congress set to adjourn next week, Friday’s vote on whether to end the GOP filibuster was seen as the last chance to pass the so-called family protection bill this year. The move failed, 50 to 46. Sen. Alan Cranston (D-Calif.) voted to cut off debate; Sen. Pete Wilson (R-Calif.) voted against it.

Democratic leaders had been promoting the parental leave bill as a key family issue, one that, they hoped, would aid the presidential campaign of Massachusetts Gov. Michael S. Dukakis. But many Republicans objected to the mandatory provisions of the bill, saying they would be too costly for many businesses and would be an unwarranted intrusion by government into the private sector.

Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole (R-Kan.) said Republicans would consider some kind of legislation encouraging companies to grant parental leave but stressed that there was no hurry to pass such a bill.

“Next year, parental leave and child care will be part of the debate here,” he said. “And I think we should let the next President, whether it’s Vice President George Bush or Gov. Dukakis, come before the Congress and lay out his agenda. What we’re saying is: slow down. This is not an urgent matter that has to be passed in the waning days of Congress.”

Business leaders applauded the Senate’s action. The vote showed that “sound thinking prevailed over election-year politics,” Alexander Trowbridge, president of the National Assn. of Manufacturers, said. According to a recent NAM study, he said, at least 70% of companies with more than 20 workers now provide eight weeks of job-protected maternity leave.

Under the legislation, both parents of newborn or sick children would be guaranteed up to 10 weeks of unpaid leave from their jobs over the course of two years. Those taking the leaves would be assured of getting their old jobs or an equivalent position on their return, and employers would be required to maintain health insurance for workers during their absence.

The measure, which would have applied only to firms with 50 or more employees, would have cost business an estimated $147 million annually. Less than 5% of all business firms and 39% of American workers would have been covered by the bill, sponsors said.

Last week, Democratic leaders tried to attract Republican support for the parental leave bill by tacking on the child-care and pornography provisions. The child-care amendment would have allocated $2.5 billion to help low- and moderate-income families pay for day care and offered grants to states to improve child-care centers.

The pornography amendment, sponsored by Sen. Strom Thurmond (R-S. C.), would have mandated prison terms of 20 years to life for persons involved in using children in the production of sexually explicit books, films and other materials.

But Republicans refused to budge, saying Congress should not mandate parental leave benefits. In addition, they criticized Democrats for injecting election-year politics into the debate.

Demand for Benefit Doubted

“These benefits are not provided by any company in the nation that I’m aware of,” said Sen. Don Nickles (R-Okla.). “You don’t see plans where a father has 10 weeks off when his wife has a baby . . . and the reason is (that) employees haven’t asked for it.”

However, sponsors said that there is a growing demand for such benefits and predicted Congress would enact them eventually.

“America’s families need this package,” said Senate Majority Leader Robert C. Byrd (D-W. Va.). “They need to have their burdens eased during critical periods of childbirth, adoption and family medical crisis. They need the peace of mind that job security will offer them in these times.”

Kathryn M. Lavriha, speaking for the Service Employees International Union, said the issue had gained significant visibility and would command even more attention next year.

“Today, we’ve got the attention of both presidential candidates, we’ve got Democrats and Republicans talking about parental leave,” she said. “The debate has changed. We’re not going to be turned back.”