The urgency of the paid leave crisis in this country should not be underestimated. Only 25 percent of workers in the country have access to paid leave through their jobs. In the lowest quarter of earners—disproportionately women, and women of color—it’s down to just nine percent.

Despite the long and uphill battle to pass paid leave in both the House and Senate — a fluke of the doomed Build Back Better bill in 2021, and Rep. DeLauro and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s FAMILY Act failed to pass four times so far—there is a renewed vigor around the issue in the corridors of DC.

It has become a cornerstone of President Biden’s agenda — with the historic provision of $325 billion for paid family and medical leave in his latest budget. The newly formed Congressional Dad’s Caucus (led by Rep. Jimmy Gomez) passed paid leave as one of its key goals. The FAMILY Act will be reintroduced next week in May. And notably, 2023 marked the creation of the first-ever bipartisan task force to pass paid leave, led by Democratic Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, and Republican Rep. Stephanie Bice.

Houlahan told Glamour: “I feel a sense of urgency. This is a working group that has had active meetings at least once a month, if not more, since its inception. Our mantra is more paid leave, for more people. And we try to break it down as best we can. There is an opportunity, and there is momentum.”

When pressed on what the group envisions with “more paid leave for more people,” Houlahan explained that “the appetite for the collective now seems to be focusing on parenthood [leave]but it is a good and important start.”