Friends,

Years ago, while serving as an Assistant Attorney General and teaching night classes at Vermont Law School to make ends meet, my mom went into the hospital and needed my help.

I was working to pay my rent and student loan debt, and just barely getting by. After using up my limited sick days and vacation days, I found myself potentially confronted with an impossible decision; caring for a loved one or paying the bills.

Vermonters, and especially women, are confronted with these tough decisions every day. That’s why for me, and for so many women and caregivers, the fight for paid family and medical leave isn’t theoretical, it’s personal. It’s why I ran for office.

Today, I launched a new TV ad to share this story:

Paid family and medical leave makes economic sense. Our economy, working families, and employers thrive when workers can remain employed when crisis strikes.

In Congress, I will work with anyone to pass universal paid family and medical leave so that no Vermonter or American ever has to choose between paying the bills and caring for someone they love.

Nationally, there are roughly 53 million unpaid caregivers. Over 5 million American women, including a disproportionate number of Vermont women, have left the workforce since March 2020.

Paid family and medical leave would be a game-changer for thousands of working families in Vermont.

I won’t stop until paid family and medical leave is a reality for every Vermonter and every American.

Yours,

Team Molly