On his radio program today, conservative host and Fox News contributor Mike Gallagher referenced Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly's maternity leave and remarked, “What a racket that is.” When told that Kelly was possibly taking three months off, Gallagher replied, “That's unbelievable.”
During the segment, Gallagher also wondered whether a man would also get “get three months off” for paternity leave. Since Kelly's Fox News contract is private, we don't know what provisions, if any, she has regarding paid leave. At a minimum, however, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides certain private employees, both men and women, with up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year. The 1993 law, while a significant piece of legislation, still has several limitations (for instance, since the law provides only unpaid leave, many families can't afford to take full advantage of the law).
Gallagher made his remarks during his weekly radio interview with Fox News Sunday anchor Chris Wallace. The informal Friday segments regularly feature off-color conversation between the two.
Gallagher is a regular on Kelly's America Live program. He recently appeared on America Live with guest host Martha MacCallum, which prompted Wallace to ask, “She's an attractive woman, don't you think?”
From Gallagher's May 27 program:
WALLACE: I saw you earlier this week, you were on, I guess, Wednesday with Martha MacCallum in New York.
GALLAGHER: Yes. I was in New York the other day, thank you --
WALLACE: She's an attractive woman, don't you think?
GALLAGHER: She's ni -- and she does a good job. She really -when is - and Megyn's on, still on maternity leave, right?
WALLACE: Yeah.
[CROSS-TALK]
WALLACE: What do you mean, you complaining she's, she's bonding with her baby.
GALLAGHER: What a racket that is. I mean, men don't get to bond --
WALLACE: What a racket?
GALLAGHER: Well, how much time does she get off to have to --
WALLACE: Probably three months.
GALLAGHER: That's unbelievable. Do you think you'd get three months off when - how much time did you get off when your kids were --
WALLACE: Let me tell you. When my children were born, one week was all I could stand. Then I wanted to come back, and that wasn't even very happy about that --
GALLAGHER: Nice, that's great.
WALLACE: And it was like, 'Let's go - let's get out of here.'
GALLAGHER: Yeah, honey, I have to leave --
WALLACE: I'd go to the White House to hide from my children.
[LAUGHTER]
GALLAGHER: Alright.
WALLACE: It's only the truth, and now about every man in the audience is sitting there saying, 'Damn right.'
GALLAGHER: 'He's right, he's right on the money' and every woman hates you right now.
WALLACE: Well, that's [inaudible].