Meghan Markle lobbies for paid family leave in Biden bill

Meghan Markle has been lobbying for paid family leave in the U.S. Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, has been working the phones, as the New York Times reported, calling members of Congress to garner support for paid family leave policy, which allows workers time to bond with babies and care for sick family members.

“This is one of those issues that is not red or blue,” she said, as the Times cited. “It sets us up for economic growth and success, but it also just allows people to have that very sacred time as a family.”

Markle steps into the fray on the heels of a tense debate over whether to include paid family leave in Biden’s sweeping social policy bill. The United States is the only rich country that does not have national paid maternity leave, as the Times reported. The administration has also been meeting with business leaders to highlight the importance of paid family leave to the economy, as the share of women working outside the home is now at its lowest level since 1986.