Democratic women in Virginia frustrated by paid leave flop

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “I'm hopeful that something's going to get done,” McAuliffe said when asked directly about the elimination of the family leave provision from the legislation being considered in Washington. The president nonetheless described his $1.75 trillion framework as “historic,” saying it would "fundamentally change the lives of millions of people for the better.” Women in Virginia led the early resistance to Trump when their votes and activism helped propel Democrat Ralph Northam to a nearly 9-point victory over his Republican opponent in the 2017 governor’s race. Kristina Hagen, the director of the Virginia Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy, said the measure would be “transformative for Virginia families.” “This is why,” Hagen said in a statement, “with just five days left in the 2021 cycle, we are leaning in on our full support for Terry McAuliffe.” Several women interviewed in Virginia on Thursday recalled the informal arrangements and individual kindness of bosses they had to rely on to care for their families without losing their jobs. She called paid leave “absolutely necessary” for new parents and said she’s seeing women increasingly disillusioned and open to Republican arguments, animated in particular by the debate over the curriculum being taught in schools.