A push to give National Guardsmen and reservists the same parental leave benefits as their active-duty counterparts is brewing as lawmakers negotiate a compromise defense policy bill.
Four lawmakers from both parties and chambers of Congress sent a letter this week to the leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services committees urging them not to drop a proposal for expanded parental leave for reserve components from the negotiated version of this year's National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA.
“At a time when we are seeing recruiting and retention challenges across the services, this simple fix helps to ensure that parents are fully supported as they build their families,” Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., and Reps. Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, and Jeff Jackson, D-N.C., wrote in the letter sent to committee leaders Tuesday and obtained by Military.com.
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“Thank you for your leadership and commitment to our nation's service members, and we urge you to continue advocating for service members as they become new parents in the final FY2024 NDAA conference agreement,” they added.
Right now, Guardsmen and reservists who are on a drill status can take maternity leave if they give birth. But non-birthing parents, adoptive parents and fosters have no such option.
By contrast, active-duty service members, including…
