Congress, the time is now! Pass national comprehensive paid family and medical leave. SIGN NOW

Dear Friend,

In case you missed it, the month of October finished off strong! And no, it wasn’t because we got to eat all of the Halloween candy that we confiscated from our little ones (although that was a highlight). It was because the United States Senate Finance Committee held its first ever hearing on paid family and medical leave! See? I told you it was a strong finish.

You’re probably thinking, a Senate hearing, why in the world is that a big deal? Well, if you allow me a few moments of your time, I’ll explain. A full United States Senate Finance Committee hearing means Senators are even more invested in supporting workers, families, businesses, and our need for paid family and medical leave like every other nation except six have already!

It also means this important milestone is leading us closer to votes on and passage of a national paid family and medical leave program. This is a WIN!

Now don’t get me wrong, the hearing was a huge deal and we are ecstatic that so many Senators are supportive of paid family and medical leave, but now we need to remind our Senators that a hearing is just one step on the road to passing paid leave – so their work isn’t done. And that’s where you come in.

We have to keep the pressure on our elected leaders, all of us are in this together, and it’s up to all of us to demand our nation finally passes paid family and medical leave for all for when a new baby or child arrives or when a serious health crisis strikes ourselves or a close loved one!

Tell your US Senators to support and pass a national comprehensive paid family and medical leave program for all families ASAP.

During the hearing, we heard expert witness testimony from both sides of the aisle in addition to commentary from members of the Senate Finance Committee. What stood out to me were the two constituent stories that were lifted up by Jocelyn Frye, President of the National Partnership for Women and Families and U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH). These stories from MomsRising members Tracy Wood and Carrie Duran resonated with me and I’m sure you’ll find them familiar to you as well:

Tracy Wood is a speech language pathologist and a mom of six from Texas. One of her children has special needs and complex challenges, and she provides caregiving for other family members as well, including an elderly and homebound grandparent. Tracy used to work a full-time job but was forced to leave several years ago because she did not have paid leave. She now holds a contracting position without benefits. That gives her more flexibility, but any time she needs to step away to meet her son's medical needs (hospitalizations, surgeries etc.) she loses her income entirely until she returns. Tracy is grateful they can still mostly cover the basics with her husband's income but losing her paycheck puts a major strain on her family's budget and adds another layer of stress.

Tracy isn’t alone.

Carrie Duran is from New Hampshire. Carrie is a single parent of three and works part-time because her youngest daughter Katie has high medical needs, she’s also a caregiver to her father who was diagnosed with Alzheimers. Carrie was caregiving for her kids and her father, all while trying to work and she did not have paid leave to be able to pay for those missed hours of work due to doctor’s appointments. Her family really suffered financially. Carrie was facing the choice of whether to take her father to a doctor’s appointment or go to work so she could put food on the table. If she had paid family and medical leave, she wouldn’t have to worry, she would take her child to the doctor, to the hospital, or wherever she needed to go and that’s how it should be.

→ Help us back up Carrie and Tracy’s stories – and all of our stories – by urging our US Senators to keep pushing forward on passing a national comprehensive paid family and medical leave program for all families.

Paid family and medical leave is a critical policy that lifts working families, saves lives, as well as keeps workers attached to the workforce which is good for business and boosts our economy. Paid family and medical leave would allow working people time to bond with a new baby or child, care for themselves if a serious health crisis arises or care for a loved one facing a serious health crisis.

The United States is one of only six countries in the world that guarantees zero weeks of paid family and medical leave. Only one in four workers in the U.S. have access to paid leave through their employers, and just two in five have access to personal medical leave through an employer’s short-term disability plan. [1]

It doesn’t have to be this way. Other countries have done it and we can too!!

What the stories from our MomsRising members show and what was evident during the Senate Finance Committee hearing is that there is broad support for paid family and medical leave. Key findings from recent public opinion research shows consistent support from likely voters for the care agenda which included paid family and medical leave. Seven in ten women and 84 percent of moms are more likely to vote for a candidate who SUPPORTS a caregiving agenda that includes 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave. [2] Moms and families need a national comprehensive paid leave program.

We can’t afford to wait, the price of inaction is too high a cost to bear. We need to build the foundations of success for families and communities, we need to pass paid family and medical leave NOW.

Thanks for your continued support,

- Namatie, Ruth, Kristin, and the whole MomsRising.org & MamásConPoder Team

References:

[1] Paid Family and Medical Leave in the United States
[2] "MomsRising Together. Findings from Public Opinion Research"

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