Yesterday, July 10, Glamour, Paid Leave for All, and MomsRising delivered a historic petition signed by more than 55,000 people to all members of Congress on Capitol Hill, calling on them to pass the country’s first national paid leave policy.

At a press conference hosted by Paid Leave for All and Glamour, senators Kirsten Gillibrand, Tina Smith, and Ron Wyden, and Democratic House Whip Katherine Clark joined the call for action, alongside representatives Jimmy Gomez, Chrissy Houlahan, Richard Neal, and Ayanna Pressley, as well as Mom’s Rising executive director Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner and MeToo founder Tarana Burke

“It’s time for an economy that works for working families, with paid leave for all,” Clark said. “An economy where bonding with a newborn isn’t a privilege but a right, and caring for a loved one doesn’t cost you your job.”

Representative Neal emphasized that the US is one of only six countries in the world without paid family leave. “We want to make sure that number is cut to five after the next session of Congress,” he declared.

And Representative Gomez, who created the first-ever Dad’s Caucus, said that any new members of his caucus need to commit to support the passage of paid leave—noting that he hoped to welcome Republican members for the first time in the coming months.

“I recognize that this issue has been led by women and mothers for a long time,” he said. “Rosa DeLauro was fighting for paid family leave back in the ”90s when it was considered a fringe issue. People often think new ideas are crazy or fringe at first. Then they become ‘not practical’ or ‘too expensive.’ But eventually they become common sense. I believe that’s where we are now.”

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.”

“This isn’t a blue or red, urban or rural issue…. This is about every family in every state, in every zip code across our country.”

—Democratic House Whip Katherine Clark

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 Clark. “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.

The event—a powerful push to make paid leave a top election issue—was headlined by actor and comedian Lisa Ann Walter, who spoke about her longstanding history of protesting and fighting for gender equity. Humor played a role, too, with Walter quipping, “For those who don’t get it, I say, Who raised you?” She didn’t hold back, adding, “Not only do we lack equal protection under the law, but we’re losing ground. Our fundamental right to control our bodies, our reproductive freedom, has been stripped away in many states. Paid family leave is part of this fight for equality.”

“For those who don’t get it, I say, Who raised you? Not only do we lack equal protection under the law, but we’re losing ground. Our fundamental right to control our bodies, our reproductive freedom, has been stripped away in many states. Paid family leave is part of this fight for equality.”

—Lisa Ann Walter

“And it’s okay to say we need to live like human beings,” Walter continued. “With time to bond with our precious babies. With support from our workplace to maintain our health care during those important postnatal months—and with a change in attitude within our legislatures who must construct better, fairer policies to protect American families through paid family leave.”

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.

“Every worker in every job in every industry should have paid family and medical leave. Period.”

Add your name to the petition to pass paid leave here.

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