Who was the first member of Congress to take maternity leave? When?

Question

If you can answer this then i will be thankful... if you dont then can you please just explain me what is MATERNITY LEAVE in congress???? I will try to search about it myself.. but if you can answer with reference... BINGO.. 10 points will be yours fa' sure!!

Answer 1

Maternity leave is time taken off of work during pregnancy. In the United States, citizens are afforded time off through the "Family Medical Leave Act" (FMLA) that guraentees they can't lose their jobs, if they meet of the requirements stipulated in the act. The United Kingdom has a simular program called "Statutory Maternity Pay" (SMP).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parental_leave
http://www.childbirthsolutions.com/articles/pregnancy/familymedical/index.php

Yvonne Brathwaite Burke was the co-chairman of the 1972 Democratic National Convention and made history as the first member of Congress to be granted a maternity leave in May of 1978.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,919729-1,00.html

In the United Kingdom, Yvette Cooper was the first serving minister in the British Parliament to take maternity leave and in August 2001 she gave birth to a son, Joel. She was MP for Pontefract and Castleford and as Minister for Public Health was responsible for maternity services.
http://web.ukonline.co.uk/m.gratton/Ladies%201st%20-%20XYZ.htm