Democratic Women’s Caucus Applauds House Passage of PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act

Washington, DC, October 22, 2021
CONTACT: Michelle Moreno-Silva
Today, Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) Co-Chairs Congresswomen Brenda Lawrence (MI-14), Jackie Speier (CA-14), and Lois Frankel (FL-21), and Vice Chairs Congresswomen Veronica Escobar (TX-16) and Sylvia Garcia (TX-29) issued the following statement on the House of Representatives passage of  H.R. 3110, the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act, introduced by DWC Member Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-12).
“While there are some protections currently in place right now, nursing mothers often have to choose between a safe, private place to pump breastmilk for their newborns, and a paycheck,” said DWC Leadership. “While this challenge affects all families, low-wage working mothers of color are disproportionately impacted by lactation discrimination. The PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act provides new mothers with the commonsense breastfeeding accommodations they deserve so they can safely return to work. We applaud our colleagues on passing this important legislation that will guarantee fair treatment for working mothers.”                      
“When I was pregnant with my first child, I was told there was no such thing as maternity leave where I was employed. While we’ve come a long way since then, new parents still face too many difficulties in the workplace. Those difficulties should not include breastfeeding,” said Congresswoman Maloney. “For the health and safety of mothers and their babies, all working moms who want to breastfeed must have the time and space to pump breastmilk. These employees and their families suffer when these basic rights aren’t met. Without these protections, nursing mothers face serious health consequences, including risk of painful illness and infection, diminished milk supply, and the inability to continue breastfeeding. All working moms should be guaranteed the workplace protections to breastfeed if they want to, and no new mother should be forced to choose between breastfeeding and earning a paycheck.”
The PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act would strengthen the 2010 Break Time law by:
  • Closing the coverage gap. The bill would protect 9 million employees not included in the 2010 Break Time law by extending the law’s protections to cover salaried employees as well as other categories of employees currently exempted from protections, such as teachers, nurses, and farmworkers.
  • Providing employers clarity on when pumping time can be unpaid, as is allowed under current law.
  • Ensuring that nursing mothers have access to remedies that are available for other violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
H.R. 3110 passed the House of Representatives on October 22, 2021, by a vote of  276 - 149.
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