Rep. Maloney started her career as an ESL *English as a Second Language) teacher in East Harlem. When her program was cut, her colleagues elected her as their advocate to restore funding - and she succeeded, setting an example that has extended throughout her career, first working with the NYC Department of Education and then as a legislative staffer in Albany. After gaining that experience, in 1982 she ran a long-shot challenge to an incumbent City Council Member in a district that spanned East Harlem, South Bronx, Manhattan Valley, and Carnegie Hill - and she won an improbably upset.
It can be difficult to juggle both work and family, which is why Congresswoman Maloney has worked in Congress to advance legislation that supports working families. She was a proud supporter of the Family and Medical Leave Act. Congresswoman Maloney also fully supports an increase in the federal minimum wage and has authored legislation that would expand workforce protections to support working families.
Affordable Childcare: Congresswoman Maloney has been a continuous supporter of legislation in Congress to provide American families access to safe, affordable, quality child care. She has also fought to safeguard tax exemptions for families with children, such as the Child Tax Credit, the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, the Earned Income Tax Credit, and Dependent Care Assistance Programs.
Paid Family and Medical Leave: Congresswoman Maloney understands the difficulties too many Americans face to meet everyday obligations for their families and workplaces. In response, she has supported legislation to ensure families get paid leave for family or medical emergencies, and worked to expand the Family Medical Leave Act to meet the demands of modern parents. Read more.
Paid Leave for Federal Employees: Federal employees are now guaranteed 12 weeks of leave for the birth of a child, but many families cannot afford to take this much time off of work without any compensation. Congresswoman Maloney has introduced legislation to provide paid FMLA leave for all federal employees. Read more.
Flexibility for Working Families: Congresswoman Maloney knows that the working dynamic of most American families has greatly changed over the last 50 years. Many families do not have a stay-at-home member, making it difficult to manage when someone in the family falls ill and needs extra care. The Congresswoman supports legislation that would support working family members adjusting their work schedules to accommodate busy, family friendly schedules.