President Obama on Saturday wished his wife Michelle a happy Mother’s Day, and encouraged everyone listening to take time for their mothers on Sunday.
“I hope you’ll also take a moment to say thank you to the women in your life who love you in that special way mothers do,” Obama said. “Biological moms, adoptive moms, and foster moms; single moms, grandmoms and godmothers; aunts and mentors – whomever you think of when you think of Mother’s Day.”
“Or take a moment, like I will, to remember the moms who raised us, whose big hearts sustained us, and whom we miss every day, no matter how old we get,” he added.
Obama said that while “giving flowers is always a good idea,” the U.S. should do more, and fight to give women equal pay for equal work.
“That includes paid maternity and paternity leave, sick leave, accommodations for workers who are pregnant, good health care, affordable child care, flexibility at work, equal pay, and a decent minimum wage,” he said. “We ask our mothers to do more than their fair share of just about everything. Making sure they’re treated fairly is the least we can do.”
Obama and other Democrats say women still don’t get paid the same amount as men do, although conservatives have pushed back by saying that assumption is flawed, and that there are other factors that lead to differences in pay.
Obama said that while Congress created Mother’s Day 100 years ago, it should do more by passing an equal pay bill.
“After all, that’s what my mother taught me,” he said. “I couldn’t just say I was going to do the right thing, or say I agreed with it on principle. I had to actually do it.”
