Friends:

This photo was taken the year I first introduced a bill to guarantee paid leave for every worker in America:

Ten years later, a lot has changed. (To start, my boys are all grown up!)

We experienced a global pandemic that decimated the U.S. care economy. Millions of women, forced to choose between caring for their families or earning a paycheck, were driven out of the labor market.

And yet we still—still—are the only industrialized nation in the world that doesn't offer national paid family and medical leave.

Today, I joined with my colleagues in reintroducing the FAMILY Act—our legislation that would create a comprehensive national paid leave program, providing workers with up to 12 weeks of financial support for family or medical leave.

I can’t overstate just how transformative this policy would be:

Paid family and medical leave means parents will no longer have to choose between a paycheck and staying home with a sick child. It means people can stay in the workforce even if they need to take time off for themselves or when they need to care for a loved one, including elderly parents. It means parents with newborns or recently adopted children can take time off to bond with and care for their new child. 

And paid family leave isn't a "women’s issue"—it’s a national economic issue. And in study after study, journal after journal, the reports are the same:

Paid leave helps the economy. Workers who receive paid leave are more likely to go back to work after they’ve met their medical or family needs—earning more money and helping companies avoid costly employee turnover.

It's simple. Paid leave should be a national priority. Families are the fundamental drivers of the economy, and I won't stop fighting until we get this legislation across the finish line.

I’m so, so grateful for your support.

-Kirsten

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