PHX Reporter

PHOENIX, AZ — On July 7, Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-03) announced he will take paternity leave following the birth of his daughter, Isla.

Statement from Rep. Gallego (AZ-03):

“Sydney and I are proud to welcome our daughter Isla into the world. These past few days together as a new family have been wonderful, and we are lucky that mom and daughter are healthy and home.

“Caring for a newborn is not easy, and as a dad, I need to be there for my family. This is not a decision I take lightly. Serving the people of Arizona is my greatest honor and responsibility—next to being a parent.

“I am blessed with a career that allows me to take paternity leave, and yet, across the country, leave is treated as an outlier at best and a punchline at worst. That has to change; no parent should have to choose between being there for their newborn and returning to work. That’s why we must break the stigma and fight for federal solutions that allow all parents to take the leave they deserve.

“Over the next few weeks, I will do the job of Dad first. When leave concludes, I look forward to returning to Congress to build a better future for Isla, my son Michael, and all of Arizona’s families.”

As studies have shown, when fathers can take parental leave, even for just a couple of weeks, there are better mental health outcomes and closer bonds between dads and their children.

And as a member of the Armed Services Committee, Rep. Gallego was proud to support a provision of the National Defense Authorization Act that expanded the military’s parental leave program.

Rep. Gallego is also a member of the Congressional Dads Caucus, which advocates for legislation that supports working families.

Original source can be found here.