What to Know
When someone asked Florida governor candidate Bobby Williams his stance on working mothers, or maternity leave, people might have expected it to be a slam dunk question for him. But instead, in a video shared on TikTok, Williams speaks out against maternity leave. And, instead of using the chance to advocate for maternity leave,he likens it to the idea that people just don’t want to work.
Who’s going to tell him that this is literally so far from the truth it hurts? As it stands, women in the United States often have to use whatever paid tim off they have for vacation days and then rely on unpaid FMLA leave. But for Williams, there is no plan to try and help Florida women with maternity leave, should he be voted into office.
He thinks maternity leave is a slippery slope.
@florida.speaks Would you want to see paid maternity leave being implemented? 🤱🏻 #florida #streetinterview ♬ Virtual World – yasuhiro soda
In the video, Williams speaks to a TikTok user who interviews him, seemingly during a political event. When she asks Williams about his stance on maternity leave for women, he admits right away that he doesn’t support paid maternity leave for women. He says he understands that people need to spend time with their families, but he also does not support the idea of paying women for their time off after having a new child.
“So when we start supporting stuff, when does it end?” Williams says in the video. “We live in a generation that’s got to work. You know, we keep giving and giving and giving and giving, it comes to a point [where] when’s enough, enough?”
He also admits, “Yes, we need to spend time with our kids. But obviously you work to get out of poverty. It’s a sacrifice. You have to sacrifice in life.”
Just so we’re clear, is he talking about sacrificing spending time with family, sacrificing making money while taking a small amount of time off after having a baby, or both?
The governor candidate was not in politics before
Williams, who is open in the TikTok about his pretty strong beliefs, wasn’t a politician before he decided to run for governor. According to his website, he is not a “career politician.” He has worked as a minister and activist, working closely with the people of Florida. One thing not on his website is his idea about maternity leave, though, so the TikTok might be a bit surprising for some of his supporters.
People don’t understand how Republicans are “pro-family.”
In the comments under the TikTok, one user pointed out how Williams is a Republican, but that Republicans are also “pro-family” in their anti-abortion stance. But Williams’ thoughts on paid maternity leave for women seems to go against that.
“They’re all concerned that the birth rate is down, but can’t take care of the women having babies…it’s gross!” Someone replied to the pro-family comment under the TikTok.
Another person added, “This is the worst answer he could possibly have given.”
Williams also says in the video that “we’ve created a lazy generation” and he hints that women can work “a day or two” after giving birth. Of course, that set off a whole other group of people in the comments.
“Like damn at the very least two weeks,” a mom commented. “I was still in the hospital after two days for a normal non-complicated C-section.”
Another quoted Williams and questioned, “What are they giving and giving and giving and giving?”
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