Senator Gillibrand, who has been fighting to pass paid leave for many years, spoke about the importance of collective action and the petition: “Nothing ever gets done in Washington. Unless regular people stand up and demand it.”
And Representative Pressley brought the room to silence as she shared her own experiences of taking care of her mother during a leukemia battle—and why she wants to ensure that all working people have access to paid leave.
Senator Wyden echoed the urgency, stating, “Paid leave should not be considered a luxury in America. It ought to be seen as essential for working families and for boosting our economic productivity. As long as I’m chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, this will be our lodestar, our primary focus.”
In the wake of this monumental petition delivery, one truth was undeniable: the fight for paid leave is far from over. “This isn’t a blue or red, urban or rural issue,” said House Whip Clarke. “This is about every family in every state, in every zip code across our country.”
The rally at Capitol Hill was followed by an evening celebration at Union Market in Washington, DC. hosted by Glamour and Paid Leave for All, and supported by formula brand Bobbie. Thousands of the brand’s Bobbie moms signed the Glamour and Paid Leave for All petition to pass paid leave, and Bobbie has also made advocating for paid family and medical leave a key mission of its own.
Glamour editor in chief Samatha Barry, Glamour executive editor Natasha Pearlman, Paid Leave for All’s Dawn Huckelbridge, and other speakers, including storyteller Karina Garcia; president of the National Partnership for Women & Families Jocelyn Frye; president of the National Domestic Workers Alliance Ai-jen Poo; and president and CEO of Reproductive Freedom for All Mini Timmaraju also spoke.
Finally, the last word of the night went to Vice President Kamala Harris, who stood alongside all the paid leave advocates and shared a special message to all Americans: “While the lack of paid leave impacts all workers, it impacts women most significantly. Women are 40% more likely to need family or medical leave. Study after study has shown that when women have paid family and medical leave, they are less likely to drop out of the workforce. And when women are able to remain in the workforce, it makes our nation stronger.
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