Today, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-10), the author of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) and a veteran member of the House Judiciary Committee, applauded President Obama’s call to pass PWFA.

“President Obama is absolutely right that we must do more to protect pregnant workers, and I strongly applaud the President’s leadership in fighting to fix the discrimination these workers face. Too often, pregnant women are forced to choose between their health and their job,” said Rep. Nadler. “It is unconscionable that, nearly 35 years after passage of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978, women are still being forced to leave jobs, being denied basic and reasonable accommodations that would allow them to continue to work during pregnancy, and being paid less than other workers because of pregnancy and motherhood.  The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act would simply ensure that pregnant employees are treated fairly in the workplace. Congress must pass this bill immediately and ensure that we are doing all that we can to protect pregnant workers.”

As part of today’s White House Summit on Working Families, President Obama will call on Congress to pass PWFA (H.R. 1975), which has 128 co-sponsors in the United States House of Representatives. This bill would close legal loopholes and require employers to make reasonable accommodations to employees who have limitations stemming from pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the employer. These on-the-job accommodations would be low-cost and not disruptive. The bill also bars employers from denying employment opportunities to women based on their need for reasonable accommodations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.

Senator Robert Casey (D-PA) has introduced the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (S. 942) in the United States Senate based on Rep. Nadler’s bill, which was first introduced on May 8, 2012.