Mandate paid maternity leave for all U.S. women

According to a Pew Research Center analysis of Census and polling data released in May of 2013, four in 10 American households with children under age 18 now include a mother who is either the sole or primary earner for her family. While some companies offer paid family leave to attract workers, the 1993 Family Medical Leave Act only requires that employers provide unpaid leave for medical and family reasons. There is only one developed country in the world that does not offer paid maternity leave, and that is the United States. The U.S. needs to catch up with the rest of the world and offer paid maternity leave. With women increasingly representing primary breadwinners in U.S. households, it is time to create legislation that the supports the evolving American family.