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Ileana Ros-Lehtinen on Families & Children
Republican Representative (FL-18)
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Voted YES on four weeks of paid parental leave for federal employees.
Congressional Summary:Allows federal employees to substitute any available paid leave for any leave without pay available for either the: (1) birth of a child; or (2) placement of a child with the employee for either adoption or foster care. Makes available for any of the 12 weeks of leave an employee is entitled to for such purposes: (1) four administrative weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth or placement involved; and (2) any accumulated annual or sick leave.Proponent's argument to vote Yes:
Rep. STEVE LYNCH (D, MA-9): This bill takes an important step toward improving the Federal Government's ability to recruit and retain a highly qualified workforce by providing paid parental leave to Federal and Congressional employees for the birth, adoption or placement of a child for foster care, which is a benefit that is extended to many in the private sector in other industrialized countries.
Opponent's argument to vote
No:Rep. DARRELL ISSA (R, CA-49): This bill sends the wrong message at the wrong time to working American taxpayers and families that are struggling in difficult times. Our economy is in crisis, and deficits are already soaring. This bill does not have one provision to say if you make $170,000 a year, why do we have to give you this benefit, because you have to choose between feeding your children and being with your children? Certainly not. There are no protections against, in fact, those who do not need this special benefit getting it. There are no safeguards at all. As a matter of fact, this bill envisions the $1 billion over 5 years, swelling to $4 billion over 10 years or more because, in fact, they believe it should be 8 weeks of special leave. Federal employees enjoy one of the highest levels of job security, without a doubt, anywhere in the United States. I would venture to say many of them the highest. More importantly, in good times and bad, they keep their jobs.
Reference: Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act;
Bill H.R.626
; vote number 2009-H310
on Jun 4, 2009
Voted YES on establishing nationwide AMBER alert system for missing kids.
Vote to adopt the conference report on the bill that would assign a national coordinator for AMBER alerts. AMBER alerts is an alert system for missing children, make available additional protections for children and set stricter punishments for sex offenders. Two-time child sex offenders would be subjected to mandatory life sentence. The measure would make it a crime to pander visual illustrations of children as child pornography. It would increase maximum sentences for a number of specified crimes against children. It would also make it a crime to take a trip to foreign countries and engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor. It also would enlarge law enforcement's wiretap and electronic surveillance abilities in investigations of child pornography.
Reference: Child Abduction Prevention Act;
Bill S 151
; vote number 2003-127
on Apr 10, 2003
Member of the Missing & Exploited Children's Caucus.
Ros-Lehtinen is a member of the Congressional Missing & Exploited Children's Caucus
Statement Of Purpose- To build awareness around the issue of missing and exploited children for the purpose of finding children who are currently missing and to prevent future abductions.
- To create a voice within Congress on the issue of missing and exploited children and introduce legislation that would strengthen law enforcement, community organizing and school-based efforts to address child abduction.
- To identify ways to work effectively in our districts to address child abduction. By developing cooperative efforts that involve police departments, educators, and community groups we can heighten awareness of the issue and pool resources for the purpose of solving outstanding cases and preventing future abductions.
Source: Congressional Caucus Web site 01-CMECC0 on Jan 8, 2001
Rated 90% by the Christian Coalition: a pro-Family-Value voting record.
Ros-Lehtinen scores 90% by the Christian Coalition on family issues
The Christian Coalition was founded in 1989 by Dr. Pat Robertson to give Christians a voice in government. We represent millions of people of faith and enable them to have a strong, unified voice in the conversation we call democracy.
Our Five-Fold Mission: - Represent the pro-family point of view before local councils, school boards, state legislatures, and Congress
- Speak out in the public arena and in the media
- Train leaders for effective social and political action
- Inform pro-family voters about timely issues and legislation
- Protest anti-Christian bigotry and defend the rights of people of faith.
Our ratings are based on the votes the organization considered most important; the numbers reflect the percentage of time the representative voted the organization's preferred position.
Source: CC website 03n-CC on Dec 31, 2003
Support No Name-Calling Week in schools.
Ros-Lehtinen sponsored Resolution on school bullying
Congressional Summary:Expresses support for the goals and ideals of No Name-Calling Week (an annual week of educational activities to bring attention to name-calling and provide schools with tools to eliminate name-calling and bullying).
WHEREAS 60 organizations have come together as No Name-Calling Week partner organizations since its inception in 2004;WHEREAS 30% of elementary students reported being bullied or called names at some point while in school;WHEREAS over 80% of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGBT) middle and high school students were verbally harassed in the past year because of their sexual orientation;RESOLVED by that Congress encourages the people of the U.S. to observe No Name-Calling Week with appropriate ceremonies, programs, and activities.Opponent's argument against bill:(Izzy Kalman in Psychology Today, Jan. 26, 2012):
No Name-Calling Week does no good in solving the problem of name-calling, and it can only
make the problem worse by weakening children emotionally. Why are more kids than ever committing suicide because they can't handle being called names?
After a week of being bombarded with the message that names can scar them forever, are kids going t
Source: H.CON.RES.10 13-HCR10 on Jan 25, 2013
Supported funding child care, child health, & child housing.
Ros-Lehtinen adopted the Women's Caucus policy agenda:
The teams of the Women’s Caucus are charged with advancing action on their designated issues in a bipartisan manner. Legislation from Team 6. CHILDREN’S ISSUES AND CHILD CARE: - HR206—A bill to provide for greater access to child care services for Federal employees (Morella) [STATUS: enacted as part of the FY2000 Treasury-Postal Appropriations bill]
- HR1112—Kiddie Mac—A bill to authorize the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to insure mortgages for the acquisition, construction, or substantial rehabilitation of child care and development facilities and to establish the Children’s Development Commission to certify such facilities for such insurance, and for other purposes. (Maloney/Baker) STATUS: Hearing held, October 8, 1999
- (bipartisan portions of) HR1139, the ACCESS Act on Child Care Affordability (Tauscher)—A bill to expand the dependent care tax credit, to provide grants to business consortia,
and to establish a new Model State’s Early Learning Fund to support programs to improve early learning and the quality and safety of child care for children ages 0-5. (Tauscher)
- HR2486—Infant Crib Safety Act—A bill to provide for infant crib safety. (Tauscher/Greenwood)
- HR___ (not yet introduced)—Give a Child a Chance Omnibus Mental Health Bill—A bill to place more mental health and student service personnel (school counselors, social workers, or psychologists, and a school nurse) in the schools. The bill also specifies which academic qualifications are necessary for such professionals to be hired. The mental health personnel in the schools would provide assessment for mental health disorders that may be exhibited by a student. For a student that might require more in-depth treatment for serious disorders, the mental health professional would refer those students to an outside professional, with the permission of a parent or guardian. (Jackson-Lee)
Source: Women's Caucus Agenda-106th Congress 99-WC9 on Jul 15, 1999
Page last updated: Jan 31, 2017