As Ayanna Pressley shared at our welcome briefing: “Policy dictates who lives and dies.” The advocacy needs are urgent, and the time to act is now. And yes, Bipartisan support is crucial—regardless of who holds office. As it stands today, no Senate Republicans have signed on in support of the Family Act.
When we launched Spread The Jelly, our mission was to provide a platform for women to talk about “the sticky stuff,” from fertility struggles to postpartum depression. So it felt natural to join the fight with Bobbie, the only infant formula brand—in an industry that has historically lobbied against it—to advocate for paid leave.
It was an inspiring day, filled with meetings with members of the Congressional Dads Caucus like Jimmy Gomez, Andy Kim and Rob Menendez, and with the magnetic Congressman Jim McGovern, a longtime advocate for many family-focused initiatives. Because hey, men need to be in on this, too!
We closed out on a high note with Senator Patty Murray, a legendary supporter of women’s rights who has served in the Senate since 1993. Her first floor speech was on paid leave—can you believe how long we’ve had to fight for this?! Similarly, Senator Tammy Duckworth, the first senator to give birth while serving in office, who made history by bringing her baby onto the Senate floor.
Twelve meetings, 11,000 steps, and a sandwich-and-chip lunch from the senate cafeteria—which was honestly better than we expected—later, we left feeling reinvigorated in the belief that a future in which every woman has access to a safe, dignified birth—and where families are supported by federal paid leave and medical leave—is possible.
#Spread #Jelly #Bobbie #Change #D.C #Lobby #Lawmakers #Paid #Leave #Maternal #Health
