Biden team denies requests from Trump appointees to extend parental leave benefits at end of term: report
Former Trump officials caring for their newborns were dismayed to find out their benefits are ending
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Trump administration officials promised three months’ paid maternity leave were hoping to receive their full benefits after the Biden administration took over, but were disappointed to have their requests denied, according to a new report.
Politico reported that Trump appointees received mixed messages regarding the continuation of their leave in light of their White House tenure coming to an end, and in some cases were surprised to find out that once Jan. 20 arrived, their benefits would be taken away.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I could have left earlier but I didn’t because I was told ‘hey you’ve got paternity leave coming up,’ and if I had known that you’re not going to get to use your paternity leave and you’re actually gonna just work your ass off when you have a new baby and then get fired, I probably would have made a different decision," one former senior Trump official told the outlet.
The official said he only took three weeks of leave after his wife gave birth in December, then had to go back to work to help the administration in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 riot. He was under the impression that he wouldn’t be losing the remaining nine weeks of paid leave time, which were reportedly worth at least $20,000.
A husband and wife who both worked for the Department of Homeland Security said they were specifically told their benefits would be treated the same as if they had been career federal employees, and as such were expecting to have paid leave even after their jobs ended at the end of Trump’s term. On Jan. 5, less than three weeks after their baby was born, human resources told them this had been a mistake, the report said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"It’s one thing if you have a household, if you have one family member who works for the government," the husband said. "But we were both employed by the government so we’re losing both of our opportunities for health care and both our incomes, so it’s pretty scary to have a premature baby at home and not knowing if you’re going to have an income or health insurance."
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The couple sent a letter to Biden’s DHS review team on Jan. 13 requesting continued benefits. Five days later, they received a response denying their request.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"This is not what you were hoping to hear but I think you also knew that this was the most likely outcome," the response said. "I am sorry to be the bearer of this news and I am sorry I don’t have other news."
Now the officials face increased pressure to find new employment while also caring for a newborn.
A current White House official blamed the Trump administration for the unfortunate circumstances.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We understand that a few Trump appointees, including a handful currently on parental leave, submitted last-minute requests to remain on government payroll," the official told Politico. "Because these requests were received so close to Inauguration Day… there was no way to implement an exception to the rule in a way that is fair to all outgoing appointees, including many who resigned as expected without making requests for extraordinary benefits."
The White House official said Trump officials had options to acquire health insurance through COBRA or the Affordable Care Act. According to Politico, Trump officials still have their government health insurance for 31 days following their departure.
Fox News reached out to the White House for further comment on Politico’s report but they did not immediately respond.
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The 12 weeks of paid leave offered to federal workers came as the result of the Federal Employees Paid Leave Act, which passed in December 2019 and went into effect in October 2020. It requires workers to agree to continue working for another 12 weeks after their leave, but does not say whether the government can waive that requirement.
Biden came out in support of the law when it passed.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"It is long past time that every American has 12 weeks of paid leave to address their own health needs or care for any of their loved ones," he said at the time.