I'll put this bluntly, John: A country without paid leave is not pro-family. The U.S. is the only industrialized nation in the world without paid family leave, despite overwhelming bipartisan support from American voters. Our politicians in Congress need to wake up.

Everyone loves their family, and whether it's taking care of an elderly parent, the birth of a new child or a sick spouse, Americans should not have to make the impossible choice between their family and their paycheck

That's why I've spent the last decade pushing to make the fight to pass federal paid leave front and center in our Democratic agenda, and I won't stop until it's signed into law.

But the only way progress ever comes is when we're fighting for it together, so I'm counting on 20,000 members of this team to raise their voices alongside mine today — including you, John: If you agree that it's long past time for Congress to pass federal paid family and medical leave, please sign my petition today.

The fact of the matter is that nearly everyone will need to take time away from work at some point to care for a new child or family member. It leaves too many people with no other option than to quit their jobs at the very moment when they need a paycheck and health insurance the most. That doesn’t just harm individual families, it burdens the entire economy.

It's time to get this done for working families across our country, and I need your help to send a clear message that we won't back down — not until paid leave gets passed.

So please, sign my petition now to tell Congress to deliver for working families across our country by finally passing paid leave.

Thank you for refusing to let up in even the toughest fights,

Kirsten