John:

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

Eight years later, Henry isn’t small enough to hide behind my desk anymore—and we finally have the opportunity to pass paid leave to give every working family a chance to thrive.

That’s because paid family and medical leave is included in the Democratic Senate’s Build Back Better budget resolution. If passed, our proposal will provide most workers with up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave every year. 

Today, more than eight in ten workers lack access to paid 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 is not 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.

We have never been so close to passing national paid family and medical leave. But I need your help to get this over the finish line.

Can you add your voice with mine to call on Congress to pass paid family and medical leave?

We are the ONLY advanced country in the world not to guarantee paid leave. But today—especially as we continue to struggle under the weight of the pandemic—we should know better. We should know that when moms, dads and families thrive, America does, too. Will you add your name now to this important cause?

I’m so, so grateful for your support.

-Kirsten

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