Chris Shays said he got accustomed to seeing women nurse babies while he was a Peace Corps volunteer in the South Pacific, but recognized some American men were uncomfortable with public breast-feeding



Chris Shays said he got accustomed to seeing women nurse babies while he was a Peace Corps volunteer in the South Pacific, but recognized some American men were uncomfortable with public breast-feeding

Women hold 'nurse-in' for U.S. breast-feeding bill

Thu May 5, 2005 04:18 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Dozens of mothers and babies held a pre-Mother's Day "nurse-in" near the U.S. Capitol on Thursday to support legislation to make it easier for working women to breast-feed or pump milk for their babies on the job.

"Breast-feeding is natural and it has a health benefit to mothers and children," said the legislation's chief sponsor, New York Democratic Rep. Carolyn Maloney, trying to be heard above the din of young children.

Her bill would expand the 1978 Pregnancy Discrimination Act so a woman could not be fired or discriminated against in the workplace for pumping or nursing on breaks.

The legislation would also have the Food and Drug Administration set standards for breast pumps and give companies a tax credit if they help women nurse or pump milk at work.

Half of mothers with children under age 1 work outside the home, she said.

Maloney failed to get the bill passed in the previous Congress but in recent years she has succeeded in getting two other bills passed, one making it clear women can nurse babies without harassment on federal property including museums and national parks and the other encouraging breast-feeding under a federal nutrition program for the poor.

Her co-sponsor, Connecticut Republican Christopher Shays, said he got accustomed to seeing women nurse babies while he was a Peace Corps volunteer in the South Pacific, but recognized some American men were uncomfortable with public breast-feeding.

"Get a life," he advised them, as the nursing moms cheered.

© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.

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April 30, 2005: This Week's Top Stories Carol Bellamy's approach earned her many critics 29 Apr Vermont has highest per-capita PCVs in service 29 Apr Jim Doyle to veto photo id voting bill 28 Apr Tom Weisner sworn in as mayor of Aurora 28 Apr Tony Hall says parents in Uganda must protect children 27 Apr Ray Tidwell optimistic about the strawberry crop 27 Apr Tom Petri pushes federal Student Aid Reward Act 26 Apr Zell Miller illuminates his feud with Chris Matthews 26 Apr The Estabrooks heading for Burkina Faso 26 Apr James Walsh leads Nepal delegation 25 Apr Michele Linnen opens Photography Show in Paris 25 Apr Sam Farr opposes energy bill 25 Apr Shiv Maira remembered by children in Turkmenistan 24 Apr Juana Bordas works toward a "Multicultural Nation" 24 Apr Christopher Hill consulting officials in Beijing, Tokyo and Seoul 23 Apr PC says program in Uzbekistan is fully operational 23 Apr John Platt's Andina named "Restaurant Of The Year" 22 Apr

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April 30, 2005: Special Events RPCV Writers scholarship in Baltimore - deadline June 1 Gary Edwards' music performed in Idaho on May 24 Jody Olsen speaks at Ivy College on May 6 Delano Lewis to speak in Albuquerque on May 2 25 Apr Nepal RPCV film showing in Massachusetts on April 30 RPCVs: Post your stories or press releases here for inclusion next week.

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