I never knew my dad, John.

That was really tough on me when I was growing up, so from the moment Aly and I decided to have kids, I was determined to be as involved as I possibly could from day one. That meant going to every doctor’s appointment, working together to prepare our home and decorate the nursery, and, after our first son was born, becoming the first member of Congress to take paternity leave.

At the time, it wasn't an issue that got talked about a lot – and it's still not talked about enough. But those first weeks with your child are hard and so incredibly important for you as a new parent, for your baby, and for your partner who shouldn't be left to handle everything on their own.

Every family deserves a chance to bond and take care of each other without worrying about finances or that they could lose their job. That's why I've included 12 weeks of paid family leave in my Affordability Agenda to make our state and country fit the needs of working people.

But as I continue to fight for policies that will improve working families' lives, I need to know that folks like you are with me – so I'm asking 10,000 supporters from all over the country to sign my petition to Congress now to support paid family leave for all. Will you be one of them, John?

From my family to yours – thanks for being with us in this fight.

Colin