The Tamesis
As Ayanna Pressley shared in our welcome briefing: “Policy determines who lives and who dies.” The need for advocacy is urgent, and the time for action is now. Yes, bipartisan support is critical — no matter who is in power. As it stands, Senate Republicans have yet to sign on to support the FAMILY Act.
When we launched Spread The Jelly, our mission was to give women a platform to talk about the “hard stuff,” from fertility difficulties to postpartum depression. So it was only natural to join the fight for 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 Congressional Dad Caucus members like Jimmy Gomez, Andy King and Rob Menendez, as well as a meeting with charismatic Congressman Jim McGovern, a longtime advocate of many family-centered initiatives. Because hey, men need to get involved too!
We ended on a high note from Senator Patty Murray, a legendary supporter of women’s rights who has served in the Senate since 1993. Her first floor speech was paid time off — can you believe how long we’ve been fighting for this? Likewise, Senator Tammy Duckworth, the first senator to give birth to a child while in office, made history by carrying her child into the Senate chamber.
After attending 12 meetings, walking 11,000 steps, and eating a lunch of sandwiches and chips in the Senate cafeteria—which was honestly better than we expected—we left feeling refreshed because we believe that a future where every woman can give birth safely and with dignity, and where families are supported by federal paid leave and sick leave, is possible.
