Sen. Ernst pushes to make paid family leave a reality

IOWA - Iowa's junior senator, Joni Ernst, is helping lead a push to make paid family leave a reality for more working parents and caregivers.

But she and her Democratic counterpart have different ideas about how it should work.

The plan Ernst is behind would allow people to collect social security benefits early, in order to take parental leave with partial pay. 

While Democratic lawmakers, like Senator Sherrod Brown, are pleased Republicans want to create a paid family leave program, they say dipping into retirement funds early isn't the way to do it. 

"We're still working through the complexities, but I'm hopeful we can craft a policy that can benefit most families and those who need it the most," says Ernst.

Family leave advocates hope this is the first step toward a bipartisan solution.

Read the story on SiouxLand Proud's website here.