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The USA desperately needs federally mandated paid parental leave and paid pregnancy leave along with strong incentives to actually take the time off.

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Why should the federal government legislate this, and not the states? What could possibly grant Congress the authority to force such a thing upon all private enterprises in the land, and wouldn't it open the door to federal laws for virtually everything argued to be for the general good?

Why should it be left to the states when there is an argument to be made that because of interstate commerce you need to implement a mandate at the federal level if you are to avoid a race to the bottom?

What is wrong with federal laws for the general good? The EPA and FDA fall under that very idea. Would you rather have food and drugs managed at the state level? We've already seen what happens if environmental concerns are managed at the state level [1].

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acid_rain#History_of_acid_rain_...

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