Meghan Markle pens emotional letter in support of paid leave: 'This is about putting families above politics'

Meghan Markle is showing her support for paid leave.

In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, the Suits alum, who wrote as an "engaged citizen and a parent," called upon the lawmakers to help those achieve "the dream of stability" by giving them the opportunity to continue in the workforce by guaranteeing paid leave.

Markle, who welcomed her second child — daughter Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor — with her husband Prince Harry earlier this year, wrote about growing up in a household with working parents and limited disposable income. The inequity between her past financial situation, and her current reality, made her particularly passionate about the issue of paid leave, especially when she saw how privileged she was to take time off to care for Lilibet.

"Like fewer parents, we weren't confronted with the harsh reality of either spending those first few critical months with our baby or going back to work," Markle wrote. "We knew we could take her home, and in that vital (and sacred) stage, devote any and everything to our kids and to our family. We knew that by doing so we wouldn't have to make impossible choices about childcare, work, and medical care that so many have to make every single day."

She declared that "no family should have to choose between earning a living and having the freedom to take care of their child (or a loved one, or themselves, as we would see with a comprehensive paid leave plan)."

"Paid leave should be a national right, rather than a patchwork option limited to those whose employers have policies in place, or those who live in one of the few states where a leave program exists," she explained. This is about putting families above politics."

Twitter users applauded Markle's letter. One wrote, "Thank you #MeghanMarkle for raising this issue in this beautiful and so eloquent letter. I hope this leads to urgent change so new parents can have paid leave. This is a basic right and fundamental to setting the best foundation for our children." Another added, "I’m so proud of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex for advocating for #PaidLeaveforAll The US is the only rich country with no national paid parental-leave program, a stark contrast to many European countries where subsidized parental paid leave is standard..NOT ACCEPTABLE!"

Markle and Prince Harry, who exited their roles as members of the royal family last year, announced they were taking a step back from working life shortly after Lilibet’s birth in June, calling the break "parental leave."

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