The comprehensive health care reform legislation about to reach the House and Senate floors shows that Congress is working toward a real overhaul of the system. But expanding coverage and lowering costs isn't enough. We need a federal system of paid family and medical leave insurance that enables all Americans to take time off to cope with major life events.

This is about embracing real family values: shielding families from the devastating loss of income when an earner becomes ill or cares for a new child or sick loved one. By bolstering families, Congress can also stabilize the economy.

Last month, the House took a step forward with the passage of a bill that gives federal employees four weeks of paid parental leave. But Congress must now help all parents stay home with new children and ensure all employees continue drawing at least a partial paycheck while recovering from illness. The best way to do it is by passing the Family Leave Insurance Act introduced by Pete Stark, D-Fremont.

At a cost of less than $7 a month per worker, this bill would provide 12 weeks of paid leave to cope with illness, care for a new child, or deal with the military deployment of a family member. Businesses will benefit from reduced employee turnover and increased productivity.

Conservatives argue that we cannot afford paid family leave, yet Stark has shown how affordable and sensible it is. A period of deep recession is exactly the right time to add a measure of stability to the precarious lives of all American families, not just federal employees. The consequences of missing a paycheck due to illness or birth have seldom been worse. Getting sick means going broke for an increasing number of American families, according to a recent study by Harvard University researchers. The loss of income from illness or caretaking was a cause of financial collapse for more than 40 percent of the households that declared bankruptcy in 2007. When families are forced to live on credit card debt and home equity because an earner becomes too sick to work, their finances crumble and instability spreads more widely. Household fragility contributed directly to the current economic crisis. Congress can prevent it from becoming so pervasive again.Across political parties, Americans support paid family leave. The Drum Major Institute's national poll of middle class Democrats, Republicans and Independents revealed that 71 percent want employers to provide paid family leave, with 63 percent of Republicans agreeing it was excellent or good policy. More than 160 countries around the world guarantee some paid leave to new parents, and most provide paid leave for illness. We are lagging far behind, only offering our citizens unpaid leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act, and even that doesn't cover employees who work for small companies. As a presidential candidate, Barack Obama pledged that the federal government would encourage states to adopt their own family leave insurance systems, similar to policies enacted in California, Washington, and New Jersey. With many state budgets in shambles, the better solution would be to establish the federal system Stark envisions.Most families need every adult in the workforce. A middle class standard of living requires a steady income along with time and flexibility for working people to care for themselves and each other. Family leave insurance will help rebuild our economy on the foundation of healthy and productive families while strengthening the middle class.