This Father's Day, let's talk about making a real difference for Dad. How? Sign the petition and make federally-mandated paid family leave a reality. [[link removed]]

sign the petition [[link removed]]

In the richest country in the world, growing families like the ones I represent in rural North Carolina are struggling following the birth of each new child. On the one hand: a miracle to welcome a long-awaited new family member. On the other: completely unsustainable circumstances for raising children.

Right now, 80% of all American workers have no paid family leave through their employer. And 30 million workers don't have even one single paid sick day .

New parents have no option but to take unpaid time off work and then hurry right back – sometimes before they're even fully recovered from giving birth because it's nearly impossible to live off one income even without a new mouth to feed.

Voters in North Carolina are clear – 77% of us call a lack of childcare a serious problem for their families and 79% of us want the state to spend more money to solve it.

Yet, the Republican leaders in charge in my home state and in many rural areas across the country have been totally unresponsive to this most basic need of working families.

Paid family leave is pro-family, pro-business, and it's just common sense.

But right now, families are missing out on building wealth in their prime earning years and have to dig their heels in to try to catch back up. North Carolinians are self-sufficient folks, but forcing them to take these financial hits just doesn't make economic sense.

Parental leave shouldn't be a political issue. We all deserve the freedom to start our families when we choose and to stay with our children when they come home from the hospital. It should not be a privilege reserved for the few or the wealthy. Will you commemorate this Father's Day by signing the One Country Project petition calling for universal parental leave? [[link removed]]

sign the petition [[link removed]]

I will work with anybody anywhere to do what's right for the people of North Carolina and for rural folks across the country, but it is morally wrong for the GOP to stand in the way of paid family leave and force new mothers to be separated from their infants in order to put food on the table.

It's time to finally make our laws reflect our values. Sign the petition and help pass federally-mandated paid leave for new moms and dads now! [[link removed]]

Stay tuned,

Ashton

Ashton Clemmons [[link removed]] Ashton Clemmons
North Carolina State Representative

Ashton Clemmons is a proud North Carolinian and currently serves in the state house in district 57. She is an educator and has a bachelors, masters, and doctorate in education and has worked in some of the most underserved schools in North Carolina. Clemmons is a tireless advocate for her community and seeks to bring better education and job training programs, along with policies to protect health care, the environment and voting rights. Express Donate:
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J.D. Scholten
Iowa State Representative
A 5th generation Iowan, J.D. Scholten Iowa’s 4th District Representative who ran a creative, grassroots campaign that drew national attention for how Democrats can compete in rural areas. In 2018, his campaign lost by just 3% — fewer than 11K votes— in a district with 70,000 more registered Republicans than Democrats, and where Trump won by 27% in 2016. J.D. Is currently running for Iowa State House District 1 and continues to advocate for Americans in small towns across Iowa.

Founded by former U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), the One Country Project is dedicated to reopening the dialogue with rural communities, rebuilding trust and respect, and advancing an opportunity agenda for rural Americans. Our mission is to ensure rural America’s priorities and values are heard, understood, well-represented and reflected in policy in Washington.
Your financial contribution supports our work to promote greater opportunities for rural communities [[link removed]] .

If you're able, please join our rural champions program by making a recurring gift. Knowing we can count on your gift each month really helps.
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