Dallas Rep. Colin Allred taking short paternity leave to take care of newborn son

Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas, will be taking a short paternity leave from Congress to help his wife, Alexandra Eber, take care of their newborn son.

His son, Cameron Eber Allred was born late Sunday night, said spokesman Joshua Stewart. Allred took a similar leave in 2019, for the birth of his first child, Jordan, who is now two years old. Allred will be on leave from Congress for about a month, Stewart said.

“Family is so important and I will continue working so all parents have the opportunity to be with their new baby during this special time,” Allred said in a statement. “Being there for your partner and newborn during this critical period leads to better outcomes for kids, dads and their partners, and men taking paternity leave promotes equality for working moms.”

Allred, who has been a strong advocate for paid family leave, added that the pandemic “only further underscored the need for all Americans to have access to paid family leave.”

Allred said he struggled to balance his work and family lives in an op-ed for The Dallas Morning News, “but one thing I won’t compromise on is paternity leave.”

“It’s time for men to shatter the myth that family leave is important only for the mother,” Allred said.

Allred introduced a bill in 2019 that would allow taxpayers to advance up to $5,000 of their child tax credit that garnered a shoutout from former President Donald Trump in his February 2020 State of the Union Address. That bill was not signed into law.

“I hope other men across government, business and sports will set an example with paternity leave,” Allred wrote in his op-ed. “Being a good father starts with taking the time to bond with your child and support your partner. To make that opportunity a reality for every parent, we need universal paid family leave.”