1 00:00:02,400 --> 00:00:05,240 Speaker 1: Welcome to Katie's Crib, a production of Shonda Land Audio 2 00:00:05,360 --> 00:00:08,640 Speaker 1: in partnership with I Heart Radio. Anytime I talked about 3 00:00:08,640 --> 00:00:11,719 Speaker 1: paid leave or childcare, someone would always say, stick to 4 00:00:11,760 --> 00:00:13,800 Speaker 1: the bread and butter issues and ignore the women's issues. 5 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:18,759 Speaker 1: Oh God, if we had similar labor force participation arts 6 00:00:18,760 --> 00:00:22,000 Speaker 1: to countries like Canada and Germany that have paid family 7 00:00:22,079 --> 00:00:25,000 Speaker 1: that have subsidice childcare, we'd have five and a half 8 00:00:25,079 --> 00:00:27,960 Speaker 1: million more women in the workforce. We'd add five billion 9 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:31,920 Speaker 1: dollars a year to the economy. This is not a 10 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:34,960 Speaker 1: women's issue. It is a family issue and economic issue. 11 00:00:35,159 --> 00:00:45,120 Speaker 1: It's an issue that affects every American. Hi, everybody, and 12 00:00:45,159 --> 00:00:50,120 Speaker 1: welcome back to Katie's Crib. Today we are getting into it. 13 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:56,240 Speaker 1: We are talking all about paid family leave, universal childcare, 14 00:00:56,280 --> 00:00:59,800 Speaker 1: really big topics that need a lot of help. So 15 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:01,600 Speaker 1: here to help us talk about that is the one 16 00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:04,600 Speaker 1: and only Luba Gretchen Shirley. She's the founder and CEO 17 00:01:04,680 --> 00:01:06,520 Speaker 1: of Vote Mama, which is the first pack in the 18 00:01:06,520 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 1: country to support democratic moms running for office. Luba has 19 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:13,480 Speaker 1: spent her career leading organizations to empower working families both 20 00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:15,920 Speaker 1: at home and abroad. She previously worked for the u 21 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:18,319 Speaker 1: N Foundation. She was selected as a Global Champion for 22 00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:21,520 Speaker 1: Women's Economic Empowerment by You and Women. Together with You 23 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:24,440 Speaker 1: and Women, she launched the I Am Parent campaign for 24 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:27,600 Speaker 1: Parent to Leave. In two thousand eighteen, Luba ran herself 25 00:01:27,720 --> 00:01:30,160 Speaker 1: for Congress to represent New York Second District in the U. 26 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:32,839 Speaker 1: S House of Representatives. She also became the first woman 27 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:37,280 Speaker 1: to receive federal approval to use campaign funds for childcare. Guys, 28 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:40,840 Speaker 1: how cool is that? Following her historic win, candidates across 29 00:01:40,840 --> 00:01:43,320 Speaker 1: the country have followed her lead and petitioned their state 30 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:46,800 Speaker 1: and local governments for the same right. Luba currently lives 31 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:50,760 Speaker 1: on Long Island with her husband, Christopher and three children. 32 00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:57,760 Speaker 1: Welcome to Katie's Crab, Luba. I have wanted to do 33 00:01:57,800 --> 00:02:00,640 Speaker 1: a podcast about this topic and all the things we're 34 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:03,000 Speaker 1: going to talk about for a long time, and I'm 35 00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:06,200 Speaker 1: so happy that you're here. But first, let's just hear 36 00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:09,320 Speaker 1: about you as a mom, Okay, like, like not all 37 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:11,920 Speaker 1: the incredible not that we can even separate them because 38 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:16,079 Speaker 1: they're so intertwined, but you have three children. I do. 39 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:19,239 Speaker 1: I have three crazy children. Yes, Nila is going to 40 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:23,080 Speaker 1: be seven on Sunday, which is shocking and She had 41 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:26,359 Speaker 1: her her fifth dance recital last night, and I cried 42 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:30,280 Speaker 1: like a fool. Yeah, she got a trophy for five 43 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:32,400 Speaker 1: years of dance, so she's going to be seven. I 44 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:36,080 Speaker 1: have no idea how that's possible. Wow, you're looking fierce 45 00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:38,280 Speaker 1: as hell. Let me tell you, because I'm sure you're 46 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:40,919 Speaker 1: not sleeping and running around like a crazy person. Okay, 47 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:42,840 Speaker 1: I'm not sleeping. I actually have a bit of a 48 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:45,480 Speaker 1: cold and was up nursing the entire night. So it 49 00:02:45,560 --> 00:02:50,520 Speaker 1: was it was fun, It was awesome. Nicholas just turned five, 50 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:55,280 Speaker 1: and Andrew is thirteen months. So, Andrew is your pandemic baby. 51 00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:59,280 Speaker 1: You and I connect on this. When was he in 52 00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:03,359 Speaker 1: the pandemic line up? In April, the height of the pandemic, 53 00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:06,520 Speaker 1: when had just really started. So I was thirty seven 54 00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:08,720 Speaker 1: weeks pregnant and they were telling everybody not to go 55 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:10,919 Speaker 1: to the grocery store, not to leave your house, it's 56 00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:13,960 Speaker 1: not safe. And Nicholas broke his leg and we ended 57 00:03:14,040 --> 00:03:16,160 Speaker 1: up in the hospital exactly when they were saying it's 58 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:18,160 Speaker 1: not even safe to go to the grocery store. They 59 00:03:18,240 --> 00:03:20,040 Speaker 1: literally kicked me out of the hospital because I was 60 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:22,160 Speaker 1: too pregnantly said it wasn't safe. I had to sit 61 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:24,040 Speaker 1: in the car and my husband went in with Nicholas 62 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:27,680 Speaker 1: and then uh Andrew was born two weeks later, so 63 00:03:27,880 --> 00:03:30,919 Speaker 1: height of the pandemic. For twenty four hours of labor, 64 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:33,640 Speaker 1: I wore a mask. I wore a mask too, but 65 00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:38,680 Speaker 1: only three hours. Holy crap. So okay, so all three 66 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:41,520 Speaker 1: of your births have been are they all been long? 67 00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:46,280 Speaker 1: So Mila was twenty three hours of back labor, ended 68 00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:48,360 Speaker 1: up in an emergency c section. She was supposed to 69 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:51,280 Speaker 1: be all natural, no drugs, had no drugs. And then 70 00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:53,840 Speaker 1: literally after twenty three hours and she refused to come 71 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:56,480 Speaker 1: out and it was complete back labor. And then Nicholas 72 00:03:56,600 --> 00:03:58,839 Speaker 1: because he wasn't back labor. Honestly, I was like, this 73 00:03:58,920 --> 00:04:01,080 Speaker 1: is easy, this isn't like her, and I didn't really 74 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:03,440 Speaker 1: realize it was in hard labor. So I bounced on 75 00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:05,360 Speaker 1: a yoga ball at home with Mila, who was bouncing 76 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:08,280 Speaker 1: on her little yoga ball, and I I think it 77 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:10,839 Speaker 1: was probably like nine o'cock at night. My mom's friend 78 00:04:10,880 --> 00:04:12,760 Speaker 1: came over and she's like, you know, your contractions are 79 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:14,800 Speaker 1: five minutes apart. You need to go to the hospital. 80 00:04:15,560 --> 00:04:18,200 Speaker 1: We parked the car at nine and he came out 81 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:23,120 Speaker 1: at time forty four. Holy crap, you just made it. Yeah, 82 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:25,360 Speaker 1: and it was a V back. It was a v back. Yeah. 83 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:28,159 Speaker 1: And then Andrew was the longest, which they always say, 84 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:31,599 Speaker 1: the third is the wild card. Yes, I have heard this, 85 00:04:31,760 --> 00:04:33,680 Speaker 1: which I don't think we've talked about on Katie's crim 86 00:04:33,680 --> 00:04:35,840 Speaker 1: at all, but yes, there's this thing that says you 87 00:04:35,839 --> 00:04:38,159 Speaker 1: can sort of assume that the first is going to 88 00:04:38,200 --> 00:04:43,200 Speaker 1: be laborious and difficult and and unknown, the second is 89 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:45,679 Speaker 1: going to be easier than the first, and the third 90 00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:49,599 Speaker 1: couldn't go either way. The third was probably and I 91 00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:51,120 Speaker 1: have to I can't even I can't beat him sitting. 92 00:04:51,279 --> 00:04:54,119 Speaker 1: He was probably the least traumatic birth, which is weird 93 00:04:54,160 --> 00:04:57,800 Speaker 1: because it was, but it was the least traumatic, but 94 00:04:57,880 --> 00:05:01,520 Speaker 1: the longest. I mean, so you births twenty three hours 95 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:05,320 Speaker 1: in a mask? What is your housband's name? Christopher? Was 96 00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:06,960 Speaker 1: he allowed in the room at that time, because I 97 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:08,520 Speaker 1: remember at the beginning of the pandemic, it was like 98 00:05:08,680 --> 00:05:10,880 Speaker 1: changing by the day, by the week, whether or not 99 00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:14,240 Speaker 1: your partners or any plus ones were allowed in the room. Yeah, 100 00:05:14,279 --> 00:05:17,640 Speaker 1: he was, thankfully um for for weeks exactly. They were 101 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:19,599 Speaker 1: changing it every few days and they weren't sure, and 102 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:21,919 Speaker 1: I when they said that we weren't going to have 103 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:23,880 Speaker 1: a partner, I went into full on panic, both because 104 00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:25,520 Speaker 1: I knew what it was like to give birth. I 105 00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:28,320 Speaker 1: had two pretty traumatic births. The last time I had 106 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:30,719 Speaker 1: complications after Nicholas, and it was it was just a 107 00:05:30,760 --> 00:05:33,440 Speaker 1: whole um, the whole thing. So, I mean I was 108 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:35,719 Speaker 1: hospitalized for four days after Nicholas. I ended up with 109 00:05:35,760 --> 00:05:38,320 Speaker 1: an infection and retained placenta and all sorts of things. 110 00:05:38,320 --> 00:05:40,000 Speaker 1: So what does that mean? So there were pieces of 111 00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:43,599 Speaker 1: your placenta that didn't come out in the after birth 112 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:45,760 Speaker 1: and so they were still in there, which makes you 113 00:05:45,800 --> 00:05:48,120 Speaker 1: really sick. I ended up with a hundred and five fever. 114 00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:50,880 Speaker 1: So then like two weeks after Nicholas was born, I 115 00:05:50,920 --> 00:05:53,159 Speaker 1: had a hundred and five fever. I was admitted to 116 00:05:53,160 --> 00:05:56,560 Speaker 1: the hospital and ivy meds for four days. When they 117 00:05:56,600 --> 00:05:59,400 Speaker 1: sent me home with iby meds in for another nine days. 118 00:05:59,400 --> 00:06:03,520 Speaker 1: Oh my god, I thought of like that alone, I 119 00:06:03,640 --> 00:06:07,119 Speaker 1: going alone, Like I was having like an actual panic attack. 120 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:09,400 Speaker 1: And I remember calling every elected official I know, and 121 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:11,120 Speaker 1: I was like, you have to call you have to 122 00:06:11,120 --> 00:06:12,560 Speaker 1: call the governor. We have to take care of this. 123 00:06:12,640 --> 00:06:15,159 Speaker 1: So literally I was on the phone with every elected 124 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:17,320 Speaker 1: official in New York and Governor Cuomo actually put out 125 00:06:17,360 --> 00:06:19,880 Speaker 1: a statement and said every every laboring woman gets to 126 00:06:19,920 --> 00:06:22,640 Speaker 1: have one support person. So I was gonna have my mom, 127 00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:25,040 Speaker 1: Adula and my husband. I had my husband. It was fine. 128 00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:27,560 Speaker 1: I was just glad to have him um. And it 129 00:06:27,680 --> 00:06:30,200 Speaker 1: was weird because my kids didn't meet Andrew until we 130 00:06:30,240 --> 00:06:32,200 Speaker 1: came home. They didn't get to meet him in the hospital, 131 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:35,360 Speaker 1: which was a very strange scenario. And they kept playing 132 00:06:35,440 --> 00:06:37,520 Speaker 1: here comes the Sun, I'm the I'm the speaker over 133 00:06:37,560 --> 00:06:40,000 Speaker 1: in the hospital because every time someone was discharging COVID 134 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:45,200 Speaker 1: they played that Oh my god, wow, you can never 135 00:06:45,440 --> 00:06:49,160 Speaker 1: the Wow. That song has such like deep meaning for you. 136 00:06:49,400 --> 00:06:52,640 Speaker 1: That's wild. Were you so terrified at the end of 137 00:06:52,640 --> 00:06:55,080 Speaker 1: your pregnancy of I mean I remember just when I 138 00:06:55,160 --> 00:06:57,039 Speaker 1: found I got pregned in a week before shut down, 139 00:06:57,040 --> 00:06:58,960 Speaker 1: and it was you know, they just didn't know how 140 00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:01,120 Speaker 1: it affected pregnant See, they didn't know how it affected 141 00:07:01,120 --> 00:07:03,480 Speaker 1: pregnant women. They didn't know how it affected a baby. 142 00:07:03,760 --> 00:07:06,120 Speaker 1: Like it was all like the wild West. It was 143 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:09,320 Speaker 1: so insane. Yeah, I was. I was not calm. I 144 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:12,320 Speaker 1: was very nervous. I mean, I I didn't know what 145 00:07:12,360 --> 00:07:14,520 Speaker 1: was going to happen. And I was literally telling my 146 00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:16,560 Speaker 1: kids this morning driving me into school, and I was saying, 147 00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:18,480 Speaker 1: we should we should actually do a recording where we 148 00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:20,320 Speaker 1: talk about what this last year was like for you, 149 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:23,280 Speaker 1: so we remember it because this was historic. And I'd 150 00:07:23,280 --> 00:07:25,120 Speaker 1: be interested to listen back to when you were, you know, 151 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:26,840 Speaker 1: were five and six and what it was like for 152 00:07:26,880 --> 00:07:29,480 Speaker 1: you when you think back a year ago, were already 153 00:07:29,520 --> 00:07:31,840 Speaker 1: beginning to know process this and come out of it 154 00:07:31,840 --> 00:07:34,280 Speaker 1: a little bit more. And but a year ago, nobody 155 00:07:34,320 --> 00:07:36,680 Speaker 1: knew what was happening. Nobody knew anything. It was scary 156 00:07:36,720 --> 00:07:39,240 Speaker 1: as hell. We were going into a hospital, we were 157 00:07:39,280 --> 00:07:41,200 Speaker 1: having you know, a baby in the middle of a pandemic, 158 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:43,320 Speaker 1: wearing a mask. I mean I remember them taking the 159 00:07:43,320 --> 00:07:45,600 Speaker 1: mask off, giving the oxygen and putting the mask back on. 160 00:07:47,000 --> 00:07:49,960 Speaker 1: It was it was scary. I mean, there's really no 161 00:07:50,080 --> 00:07:51,600 Speaker 1: way you had no idea what was going to happen 162 00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:54,280 Speaker 1: if you were hearing horror stories of infants getting it 163 00:07:54,320 --> 00:07:56,600 Speaker 1: and babies getting it. And Andrew with the whole family 164 00:07:56,680 --> 00:07:59,000 Speaker 1: ended up getting in November. And Andrew and I actually 165 00:07:59,040 --> 00:08:00,960 Speaker 1: not the worst, but you know, we got through it. 166 00:08:01,040 --> 00:08:03,120 Speaker 1: In April when he was born, and that was all okay. 167 00:08:03,480 --> 00:08:06,800 Speaker 1: Oddly enough, my mom, who's you know seven now, I 168 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:09,160 Speaker 1: was worried the most about her, thinking she she probably 169 00:08:09,160 --> 00:08:11,400 Speaker 1: had the best of everybody her and my husband probably 170 00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:13,560 Speaker 1: head of the best. Um. But yeah, my mom got 171 00:08:13,600 --> 00:08:16,880 Speaker 1: it first, and then we all got it. Andrew got it, 172 00:08:16,960 --> 00:08:20,440 Speaker 1: I got it, kids did, my husband did. Nicholas was fine, 173 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:24,280 Speaker 1: had no symptoms. Mila had a headache and was just tired. Um. 174 00:08:24,320 --> 00:08:26,400 Speaker 1: I got a very high fever and was very, very 175 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:29,400 Speaker 1: sick for probably like sixties and were you able to 176 00:08:29,480 --> 00:08:32,680 Speaker 1: breastfeed through it? Like he was awake for maybe an 177 00:08:32,720 --> 00:08:34,880 Speaker 1: hour of the day. I slept from the majority of 178 00:08:34,920 --> 00:08:36,640 Speaker 1: the time. The two of us just slept and nursed. 179 00:08:36,800 --> 00:08:38,760 Speaker 1: And they get the antibodies even you know, when you're sick, 180 00:08:38,840 --> 00:08:41,440 Speaker 1: especially he can now, and the antibodies from having COVID 181 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:43,440 Speaker 1: and the hell from from me having the vaccines, getting 182 00:08:43,480 --> 00:08:44,920 Speaker 1: the antibodies from the brest of life. But it's the 183 00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:48,560 Speaker 1: best thing you can do. Amazing, how cool. I never 184 00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:52,840 Speaker 1: even considered not nursing during it. So shifting gears, how 185 00:08:52,840 --> 00:08:56,320 Speaker 1: did you get into politics? I've always been political. I 186 00:08:56,320 --> 00:08:59,280 Speaker 1: mean I was volunteering on county ledge races. When I 187 00:08:59,320 --> 00:09:01,200 Speaker 1: was three years old with my mom, I was stuffing 188 00:09:01,320 --> 00:09:03,760 Speaker 1: envelopes and you know, our local elected office, and so 189 00:09:03,800 --> 00:09:06,840 Speaker 1: I was always political. I studied politics and undergrad. I 190 00:09:06,880 --> 00:09:09,400 Speaker 1: never planned on running profice at this point in my life. 191 00:09:09,440 --> 00:09:11,160 Speaker 1: I thought I'd run at some point when I was older, 192 00:09:11,160 --> 00:09:14,480 Speaker 1: when my kids were grown. I was living in the city. 193 00:09:14,480 --> 00:09:16,480 Speaker 1: I went to n YU for for undergrad and grad. 194 00:09:16,559 --> 00:09:20,520 Speaker 1: I had Mila at that point, and I was not 195 00:09:20,559 --> 00:09:22,480 Speaker 1: planning on moving back to Long Island. I grew up here, 196 00:09:22,679 --> 00:09:25,160 Speaker 1: but I was pregnant and I did not have access 197 00:09:25,200 --> 00:09:27,679 Speaker 1: to paid family. And then I remember putting my name 198 00:09:27,679 --> 00:09:30,040 Speaker 1: on waitlist for child care centers and never making at all. 199 00:09:30,320 --> 00:09:32,520 Speaker 1: And I eventually about a year and like Niel, I 200 00:09:32,520 --> 00:09:34,880 Speaker 1: was about a year old and my husband is not 201 00:09:34,920 --> 00:09:37,480 Speaker 1: from Long Island, South African and we made the decision 202 00:09:37,520 --> 00:09:40,719 Speaker 1: to move here, and we did it for free babysitting. 203 00:09:40,760 --> 00:09:42,360 Speaker 1: And I remember thinking, oh my god, this is it. 204 00:09:42,360 --> 00:09:44,240 Speaker 1: I'm gonna get mommy trapped. I'm gonna get stuck on 205 00:09:44,240 --> 00:09:46,280 Speaker 1: Long Island as a suburban mom, and what am I 206 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:47,760 Speaker 1: going to do when I want to start full time 207 00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:51,280 Speaker 1: working again. I was consulting part time. I had a baby, 208 00:09:51,320 --> 00:09:53,720 Speaker 1: I had a second baby, was not planning on running 209 00:09:53,760 --> 00:09:56,400 Speaker 1: for Congress. And Peter King had been in office since 210 00:09:56,440 --> 00:10:00,280 Speaker 1: I was twelve and had consistently voted to her people 211 00:10:00,280 --> 00:10:04,040 Speaker 1: in my districted across the country. I was watching his 212 00:10:04,160 --> 00:10:07,760 Speaker 1: voting record, watching his complete support of Donald Trump and 213 00:10:07,760 --> 00:10:10,920 Speaker 1: the horrible things he was doing. I started an Indivisible group, 214 00:10:10,920 --> 00:10:13,000 Speaker 1: and literally every morning I would be up nursing Nicholas 215 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:14,760 Speaker 1: and on my phone writing an action alert. You know, 216 00:10:14,800 --> 00:10:17,200 Speaker 1: this is the particular issue. There was a new executive 217 00:10:17,280 --> 00:10:19,560 Speaker 1: order every other day. I would write a whole list 218 00:10:19,600 --> 00:10:20,920 Speaker 1: of all this is the background, this is what we're 219 00:10:20,920 --> 00:10:23,360 Speaker 1: going to call King's office about. And then King came 220 00:10:23,400 --> 00:10:25,240 Speaker 1: out and support of the Musliman and I called his 221 00:10:25,280 --> 00:10:27,080 Speaker 1: office and I said, I'm having a protest. It's like 222 00:10:27,120 --> 00:10:29,320 Speaker 1: to come in and speak with him, and they said, sure, 223 00:10:29,400 --> 00:10:31,679 Speaker 1: show up at the opposite three thirty. I got there 224 00:10:31,760 --> 00:10:33,480 Speaker 1: three thirty. They had locked the doors and sent the 225 00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:37,400 Speaker 1: staff home, and we had about four people protests. And 226 00:10:37,400 --> 00:10:39,400 Speaker 1: I called on Monday morning and he agreed to meet 227 00:10:39,400 --> 00:10:41,880 Speaker 1: with me because I had so many people protests that 228 00:10:41,920 --> 00:10:43,640 Speaker 1: he told the press later that he met with a 229 00:10:43,720 --> 00:10:47,600 Speaker 1: leader of a resistance group. Oh god, not a mom 230 00:10:47,679 --> 00:10:50,160 Speaker 1: in his community, a leader of a resistance group. And 231 00:10:50,200 --> 00:10:52,199 Speaker 1: I went in. I brought three people from the district 232 00:10:52,200 --> 00:10:53,840 Speaker 1: with me, three friends, and I said, look, I'd like 233 00:10:53,880 --> 00:10:55,560 Speaker 1: you to hold a town hall. I'm glad that you're 234 00:10:55,559 --> 00:10:57,640 Speaker 1: meeting with me, but they're hundreds of people who've been 235 00:10:57,640 --> 00:11:00,520 Speaker 1: trying to get meetings with you. Right he was blocking 236 00:11:00,559 --> 00:11:03,200 Speaker 1: everybody on Facebook. He wouldn't talk to anybody. So he 237 00:11:03,280 --> 00:11:05,160 Speaker 1: told me flat out that holding a town hall would 238 00:11:05,160 --> 00:11:09,960 Speaker 1: only diminish democracy. And that was pretty much it for 239 00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:12,200 Speaker 1: me at that point. I organized the town hall. I 240 00:11:12,200 --> 00:11:15,120 Speaker 1: had a six ft cardboard cutout of Peter King. He 241 00:11:15,280 --> 00:11:18,040 Speaker 1: of course didn't come. We invited him. I held the 242 00:11:18,040 --> 00:11:19,960 Speaker 1: town hall for him, and then people started saying, are 243 00:11:19,960 --> 00:11:21,920 Speaker 1: you going to run against him? And I said, no, 244 00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:24,240 Speaker 1: you're crazy. I have two tiny babies, I'm nursing. There's 245 00:11:24,240 --> 00:11:26,559 Speaker 1: no way I can do this. And I remember people 246 00:11:26,679 --> 00:11:28,520 Speaker 1: really saying, what can we do to convince you to 247 00:11:28,600 --> 00:11:30,559 Speaker 1: run right now? And I laughed and I said, well, 248 00:11:30,559 --> 00:11:32,800 Speaker 1: I need childcare. My mom is a teacher. She was 249 00:11:32,800 --> 00:11:35,800 Speaker 1: still working then. She's retired now, thankfully, But I had 250 00:11:35,840 --> 00:11:37,320 Speaker 1: them with me all day, and then she'd come home 251 00:11:37,320 --> 00:11:39,079 Speaker 1: at three thirty and she would watch them, and that's 252 00:11:39,080 --> 00:11:42,320 Speaker 1: when I would start my consulting work. Oh my god, Luba, 253 00:11:42,360 --> 00:11:45,400 Speaker 1: this is insane, but I I didn't think I would 254 00:11:45,440 --> 00:11:48,319 Speaker 1: do it, honestly, and I just kept watching his votes, 255 00:11:48,360 --> 00:11:50,360 Speaker 1: and then he voted to take healthcare away from seventy 256 00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:53,240 Speaker 1: four thousand people in our district alone, and I just 257 00:11:53,320 --> 00:11:56,160 Speaker 1: got pissed. I got really really pissed. And I know 258 00:11:56,240 --> 00:11:58,200 Speaker 1: you're not supposed to be the angry woman. I was 259 00:11:58,280 --> 00:12:03,280 Speaker 1: the angry woman, fully so, and nobody took me seriously. 260 00:12:03,320 --> 00:12:05,240 Speaker 1: I was a young woman. I had a one year 261 00:12:05,280 --> 00:12:07,040 Speaker 1: old and a three year old. I had never run 262 00:12:07,080 --> 00:12:10,440 Speaker 1: for office before. Our our Democratic chairman literally told people 263 00:12:10,480 --> 00:12:12,120 Speaker 1: that I was like Tracy Flick, you know, the Reese 264 00:12:12,120 --> 00:12:15,040 Speaker 1: Witherspoon character, and election an election of course, of course, 265 00:12:15,160 --> 00:12:19,840 Speaker 1: the young blonde girl nobody nobody looked at seriously shapped 266 00:12:19,840 --> 00:12:22,360 Speaker 1: it off. I ended up out raising Peter King. I 267 00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:25,560 Speaker 1: raised more than two million dollars with new corporate knocked 268 00:12:25,559 --> 00:12:29,200 Speaker 1: in two fifty doors, and he had always won by 269 00:12:29,559 --> 00:12:32,480 Speaker 1: four to forty something points. He only won by six 270 00:12:32,480 --> 00:12:36,200 Speaker 1: points this time, and he decided to retire afterwards because 271 00:12:36,200 --> 00:12:40,920 Speaker 1: he didn't want to go through that again. Wow, unbelievable. 272 00:12:40,960 --> 00:12:42,920 Speaker 1: I have to tell you a lot of fun. You 273 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:56,360 Speaker 1: had a lot of fun. So you've always been a 274 00:12:56,360 --> 00:13:00,040 Speaker 1: political person. Your mother raised you to be super a 275 00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:04,439 Speaker 1: where and involved. Is it this situation and this experience 276 00:13:04,520 --> 00:13:06,760 Speaker 1: that made you start vote? Mama, tell me about the 277 00:13:06,760 --> 00:13:10,080 Speaker 1: pack and why. So we have we have a foundation 278 00:13:10,160 --> 00:13:13,120 Speaker 1: and pack. Our pack is the political arm We work 279 00:13:13,200 --> 00:13:15,480 Speaker 1: to get democratic moms elected from school board to Senate. 280 00:13:15,520 --> 00:13:17,760 Speaker 1: We fund them, we mentor them, we trained them. We 281 00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:22,200 Speaker 1: have this incredible advisory committee, people like Representatives Katie Porter Moore, 282 00:13:22,640 --> 00:13:25,640 Speaker 1: Kim shriyor Terry Stool, Grace Meang, We have the Tenant 283 00:13:25,679 --> 00:13:29,800 Speaker 1: Governor's Stundate, State Senators, all of these amazing people who 284 00:13:29,800 --> 00:13:32,319 Speaker 1: sit on our advisory committee who help us mentor these candidates. 285 00:13:32,640 --> 00:13:35,160 Speaker 1: But it's really about providing them Mama's net work, making 286 00:13:35,160 --> 00:13:37,760 Speaker 1: sure that they have the support. Um we you know 287 00:13:37,800 --> 00:13:41,120 Speaker 1: I had. I had one of our county supervisors who's 288 00:13:41,240 --> 00:13:42,880 Speaker 1: an alumni, called me the other day and she said, 289 00:13:42,880 --> 00:13:45,160 Speaker 1: you know, I really need to talk to their mothers 290 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:47,439 Speaker 1: at the same the same level of elected office. Can 291 00:13:47,440 --> 00:13:49,920 Speaker 1: we put something together? So I literally started to reach 292 00:13:49,920 --> 00:13:51,640 Speaker 1: out to all of our city council members, all of 293 00:13:51,679 --> 00:13:55,200 Speaker 1: our county county legislators and exact and we're putting together 294 00:13:55,240 --> 00:13:57,000 Speaker 1: a Zoom happy hour just so they can talk to 295 00:13:57,040 --> 00:14:00,600 Speaker 1: each other. That's awesome. So we're working to get these 296 00:14:00,640 --> 00:14:04,600 Speaker 1: moms intopice. The foundation side is working to actually break 297 00:14:04,600 --> 00:14:06,959 Speaker 1: down the structural barriers to make it easier for them 298 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:09,960 Speaker 1: to run. Through our foundation, we're working to pass campaign 299 00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:12,840 Speaker 1: funds for childcare in all fifty states. That is our 300 00:14:12,880 --> 00:14:16,440 Speaker 1: research arm it's our nonprofit, nonpartisan arm. Our long term 301 00:14:16,480 --> 00:14:19,080 Speaker 1: goal is to get universal child Here pasted our short 302 00:14:19,160 --> 00:14:21,680 Speaker 1: term goals campaign funds for childcare, because this breaks down 303 00:14:21,680 --> 00:14:24,080 Speaker 1: the barrier. It makes it easier to elect more moms. 304 00:14:24,120 --> 00:14:27,200 Speaker 1: But we're working with legislators to pass family friendly legislation 305 00:14:27,640 --> 00:14:30,360 Speaker 1: to normalize what it looks like to actually talk about 306 00:14:30,360 --> 00:14:34,200 Speaker 1: this legislation with an economic lens, because that's when people 307 00:14:34,240 --> 00:14:36,080 Speaker 1: start to take you seriously, and that's when they start 308 00:14:36,080 --> 00:14:39,280 Speaker 1: to listen. When they understand that this legislation is not 309 00:14:39,360 --> 00:14:41,800 Speaker 1: just the right thing to do, but the economically smart 310 00:14:41,840 --> 00:14:44,960 Speaker 1: thing to do, you start to get crossover. You start 311 00:14:44,960 --> 00:14:47,400 Speaker 1: have to get through Republicans and Democrats talking about it. 312 00:14:47,720 --> 00:14:50,480 Speaker 1: So during my campaign I had the babies with me. 313 00:14:50,560 --> 00:14:52,920 Speaker 1: Literally every day till three thirty I was giving speeches 314 00:14:52,920 --> 00:14:54,720 Speaker 1: with Nicholas and the baby. We're up nursing with meal 315 00:14:54,760 --> 00:14:57,240 Speaker 1: and running around next to me. There's no playbook for 316 00:14:57,240 --> 00:14:59,520 Speaker 1: how to run profice, but there's really no playbook for 317 00:14:59,520 --> 00:15:01,080 Speaker 1: how to do with small children. There's no one to 318 00:15:01,080 --> 00:15:02,600 Speaker 1: reach out and say, hey, how do you do this? 319 00:15:02,720 --> 00:15:05,720 Speaker 1: What's the schedule? Like, how do I manage this part 320 00:15:05,720 --> 00:15:08,400 Speaker 1: of my life with this part? We have so many 321 00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:10,880 Speaker 1: millionaires in Congress. Literally more than half of our representatives 322 00:15:10,920 --> 00:15:14,400 Speaker 1: are millionaires, because Congress is not set up for working Americans. 323 00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:17,720 Speaker 1: You have to be wealthy and connected to even jump 324 00:15:17,760 --> 00:15:21,480 Speaker 1: start a race. Most working people don't have the ability 325 00:15:21,480 --> 00:15:23,160 Speaker 1: to that. I remember being told, you have to raise 326 00:15:23,200 --> 00:15:26,160 Speaker 1: a hundred thousand dollars before anyone takes you seriously. I 327 00:15:26,200 --> 00:15:28,920 Speaker 1: had a nonprofit background. I don't come from a wealthy family. 328 00:15:28,960 --> 00:15:30,720 Speaker 1: I had no idea how I was going to do that, 329 00:15:30,760 --> 00:15:32,800 Speaker 1: and I did it. It It was a hundred and twenty 330 00:15:32,800 --> 00:15:34,920 Speaker 1: six in the first two months, and then I hired staff. 331 00:15:35,560 --> 00:15:37,680 Speaker 1: I had campaign manager, and then I got to find instructor, 332 00:15:37,680 --> 00:15:39,680 Speaker 1: and we kept building and growing and raising the money. 333 00:15:39,720 --> 00:15:43,840 Speaker 1: But it was sheer, just determination. But so many people 334 00:15:43,920 --> 00:15:48,600 Speaker 1: don't have that ability to even start. So during the campaign, 335 00:15:48,600 --> 00:15:50,920 Speaker 1: about five months into the campaign, I still had both 336 00:15:50,920 --> 00:15:53,760 Speaker 1: babies with me all day, and I put a request 337 00:15:53,800 --> 00:15:55,960 Speaker 1: into the Federal Election Commission and I said, can I 338 00:15:56,040 --> 00:15:58,640 Speaker 1: use some of my campaign funds for child care? Frankly, 339 00:15:58,680 --> 00:16:02,120 Speaker 1: everybody said it was political so aside. They said, you're crazy. 340 00:16:02,160 --> 00:16:04,080 Speaker 1: You're going to get attacked as a woman, as a mom. 341 00:16:04,480 --> 00:16:06,960 Speaker 1: I was already getting attacked for being a mother. Yeah, 342 00:16:07,040 --> 00:16:10,120 Speaker 1: you were like, yeah, They were like, don't, don't do this. 343 00:16:10,840 --> 00:16:12,680 Speaker 1: But the reality is when you're running and you have 344 00:16:12,720 --> 00:16:14,560 Speaker 1: school loans and you're trying to figure out how to 345 00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:15,800 Speaker 1: pay your bills, and then all of a sudden, you're 346 00:16:15,800 --> 00:16:18,600 Speaker 1: supposed to pick up the cost of childcare without a salary, 347 00:16:18,640 --> 00:16:21,280 Speaker 1: because when you run for Congress, you don't get any salary. 348 00:16:21,280 --> 00:16:24,560 Speaker 1: You can't work another job full time for It's like 349 00:16:24,600 --> 00:16:28,080 Speaker 1: coming three full time jobs plus two babies. So I 350 00:16:28,120 --> 00:16:29,640 Speaker 1: didn't have the ability to pick up the costs of 351 00:16:29,680 --> 00:16:32,480 Speaker 1: child care. I put this request in and I remember 352 00:16:32,560 --> 00:16:35,360 Speaker 1: driving down to d C with with Mel and Nicholas, 353 00:16:35,480 --> 00:16:38,040 Speaker 1: and we knew that Glamor magazine was going to cover 354 00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:41,040 Speaker 1: it the next day. It was a bipartisan, unanimous decision. 355 00:16:41,080 --> 00:16:43,840 Speaker 1: Every press outlet in the country covered it. Fox News 356 00:16:43,840 --> 00:16:46,120 Speaker 1: said it was the one bipartisan thing they could agree with, 357 00:16:46,120 --> 00:16:49,840 Speaker 1: which till this day still shocks me. Wow. But it 358 00:16:50,280 --> 00:16:51,960 Speaker 1: changed the way that people are in profits. Fifty on 359 00:16:52,040 --> 00:16:54,960 Speaker 1: federal candidates have now used their campaign councer childcare, men 360 00:16:55,480 --> 00:16:59,120 Speaker 1: and women, Republicans and Democrats. Almost seventies state candidates have 361 00:16:59,200 --> 00:17:02,480 Speaker 1: done this, and so we're actually working with the Vote 362 00:17:02,480 --> 00:17:04,480 Speaker 1: Mama Foundation, which I'll tell you about in a little bit, 363 00:17:04,520 --> 00:17:06,600 Speaker 1: but we're where can you break down the structural barriers? 364 00:17:06,600 --> 00:17:08,960 Speaker 1: So we've been working to get campaign funds for childcare 365 00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:11,520 Speaker 1: now passed at the state level for all state and 366 00:17:11,520 --> 00:17:14,280 Speaker 1: local candidates, because my FBC ruling improved it for all 367 00:17:14,320 --> 00:17:18,320 Speaker 1: federal candidates. But each state has different laws. We're changing 368 00:17:18,320 --> 00:17:20,720 Speaker 1: this and we've actually got eleven states to approve legislation. 369 00:17:21,720 --> 00:17:25,359 Speaker 1: This is amazing. We are breaking down the barriers. The 370 00:17:25,359 --> 00:17:29,560 Speaker 1: goals got all fifty states three so Connecticut just passed 371 00:17:29,560 --> 00:17:31,359 Speaker 1: the House and is after the governor. They're about to 372 00:17:31,400 --> 00:17:35,280 Speaker 1: become the twelfth state to pass legislation. This is incredible 373 00:17:35,320 --> 00:17:40,960 Speaker 1: that people can use campaign funds for childcare. Um Vote 374 00:17:40,960 --> 00:17:43,080 Speaker 1: Mama is trying to normalize what it looks like to 375 00:17:43,240 --> 00:17:47,080 Speaker 1: run as a mother besides just trying to get childcare. Like, 376 00:17:47,160 --> 00:17:49,440 Speaker 1: how how else is vote Mama helping to do this? 377 00:17:49,680 --> 00:17:52,760 Speaker 1: So I wanted to pack right after my campaign, end 378 00:17:52,760 --> 00:17:56,080 Speaker 1: it because people do not look at moms and take 379 00:17:56,160 --> 00:17:58,960 Speaker 1: us seriously, like the donors don't, the press doesn't, voters don't. 380 00:17:59,280 --> 00:18:01,760 Speaker 1: And the only to teams that is to normalize it, 381 00:18:01,840 --> 00:18:04,119 Speaker 1: to actually see more moms running for profice. You know, 382 00:18:04,160 --> 00:18:06,480 Speaker 1: they're all of these organizations across the country that work 383 00:18:06,560 --> 00:18:09,239 Speaker 1: to get women elected. The reality is, at a time 384 00:18:09,280 --> 00:18:11,640 Speaker 1: we're forty four years old, eighty six percent of American 385 00:18:11,640 --> 00:18:14,439 Speaker 1: women or moms, and yet just six percent of our 386 00:18:14,440 --> 00:18:17,199 Speaker 1: congress members or moms with kids eighteen or younger. You 387 00:18:17,280 --> 00:18:19,480 Speaker 1: need people in office who understand these issues at a 388 00:18:19,520 --> 00:18:23,160 Speaker 1: visceral level, and our policies have failed American families for generations. 389 00:18:23,200 --> 00:18:26,439 Speaker 1: So I launched Obama. I wanted to be able to 390 00:18:26,480 --> 00:18:30,040 Speaker 1: support moms running and help them in every way. So normally, 391 00:18:30,080 --> 00:18:32,359 Speaker 1: when you get into a race and you fell out 392 00:18:32,359 --> 00:18:35,000 Speaker 1: a pack endorsement application, you have that interview, you pretend 393 00:18:35,040 --> 00:18:37,320 Speaker 1: everything is perfect. I've raised all this money, I have 394 00:18:37,359 --> 00:18:40,119 Speaker 1: all these endorsements, I have all this wonderful campaign staff 395 00:18:40,119 --> 00:18:42,440 Speaker 1: and support, X, Y and Z. Give me money, you 396 00:18:42,520 --> 00:18:44,760 Speaker 1: get a check and they move on. I wanted to 397 00:18:44,800 --> 00:18:46,920 Speaker 1: be a different organization. I wanted to be the pack 398 00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:48,600 Speaker 1: that when you come and talk to us, you can 399 00:18:48,640 --> 00:18:50,879 Speaker 1: literally break down crying during your interview. We've had that 400 00:18:50,880 --> 00:18:53,320 Speaker 1: happened many times. You can talk to us about what 401 00:18:53,400 --> 00:18:55,919 Speaker 1: support you really need. I mean, we've helped candidates do 402 00:18:55,960 --> 00:18:58,320 Speaker 1: everything from literally find a babysitter to pick out a 403 00:18:58,320 --> 00:19:00,600 Speaker 1: car seat, to put a finance when together, to hire 404 00:19:00,560 --> 00:19:02,520 Speaker 1: a finance director, to teach them how to do call time, 405 00:19:02,720 --> 00:19:05,960 Speaker 1: to put a policy piece together. You need a complete 406 00:19:05,960 --> 00:19:10,000 Speaker 1: wraparound support, and we support Democratic women on the pack side, 407 00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:12,840 Speaker 1: from school board to Senate. It is so important to 408 00:19:12,880 --> 00:19:15,439 Speaker 1: build a bench, and this is something that Republicans are 409 00:19:15,440 --> 00:19:17,199 Speaker 1: really great at. They work to build a bench. You know, 410 00:19:17,240 --> 00:19:19,280 Speaker 1: you look at two thousand eight, the Tea Party took 411 00:19:19,280 --> 00:19:22,919 Speaker 1: over school boards. Fool boards are easy seats to win. 412 00:19:23,280 --> 00:19:26,240 Speaker 1: They're usually you know, many cases uncontested, and then you 413 00:19:26,280 --> 00:19:28,280 Speaker 1: can use them as jumping off points to your next 414 00:19:28,320 --> 00:19:31,520 Speaker 1: go to the next level, right exactly. School Boards are critical. 415 00:19:31,560 --> 00:19:33,360 Speaker 1: There have been people there are so many in Gwynette 416 00:19:33,400 --> 00:19:37,600 Speaker 1: County who sat on the school board for forty seven years. 417 00:19:37,720 --> 00:19:41,240 Speaker 1: Seventy percent of school board members are white only kids 418 00:19:41,240 --> 00:19:43,679 Speaker 1: in the district, and you end up having people who 419 00:19:43,720 --> 00:19:45,840 Speaker 1: are not there to be champions for the kids in 420 00:19:45,880 --> 00:19:48,560 Speaker 1: the district. You need a champion for the students. Those 421 00:19:48,560 --> 00:19:53,080 Speaker 1: school boards are critical. Council races are so important, mayoral races, 422 00:19:53,119 --> 00:19:56,000 Speaker 1: counting led races. So much of the policy that affects 423 00:19:56,040 --> 00:19:58,800 Speaker 1: your life every day happens at the local level. We 424 00:19:58,840 --> 00:20:00,959 Speaker 1: need to get moms in there those levels because it's 425 00:20:01,040 --> 00:20:04,040 Speaker 1: the policy is important, and also because it helps build 426 00:20:04,040 --> 00:20:05,600 Speaker 1: a bench so that when you have somebody running for 427 00:20:05,600 --> 00:20:08,640 Speaker 1: a better office, they already have all that experience, They've 428 00:20:08,680 --> 00:20:11,240 Speaker 1: already gone through all of these other seats. Because when 429 00:20:11,240 --> 00:20:13,400 Speaker 1: they feel ready to run, they can run for whatever 430 00:20:13,440 --> 00:20:16,200 Speaker 1: seat is most interesting to them, whatever policies they're most 431 00:20:16,200 --> 00:20:18,800 Speaker 1: interested in working for. That's the seat that they should 432 00:20:18,840 --> 00:20:21,639 Speaker 1: be running for. It shouldn't be something that hurts you. 433 00:20:21,680 --> 00:20:24,040 Speaker 1: It should be something that literally you use that lived 434 00:20:24,040 --> 00:20:27,680 Speaker 1: experience to become a better legislator. We're twenty seven and healthcare. 435 00:20:28,040 --> 00:20:30,199 Speaker 1: We're the only country other than Papua New Guinea in 436 00:20:30,200 --> 00:20:33,880 Speaker 1: the world without paid family need. Why is that? Why 437 00:20:33,920 --> 00:20:36,160 Speaker 1: do you think that is? Why do you think people 438 00:20:36,160 --> 00:20:40,000 Speaker 1: are against universal childcare and paid maternity ly? Why? I 439 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:44,639 Speaker 1: think you told us what percentage of women are What 440 00:20:44,760 --> 00:20:47,119 Speaker 1: is it? Six percent percent of all Congress members are 441 00:20:47,200 --> 00:20:51,840 Speaker 1: moms with kids eighteen or younger. That's it. So it's 442 00:20:51,840 --> 00:20:55,800 Speaker 1: just not a priority for anybody else. It's a priority 443 00:20:55,880 --> 00:20:58,520 Speaker 1: of tax cuts to the top one percent, but it's 444 00:20:58,520 --> 00:21:02,640 Speaker 1: not a priority to have universal healthcare. We had universal 445 00:21:02,720 --> 00:21:06,000 Speaker 1: childcare during World War Two. They passed the Landom Act. 446 00:21:06,080 --> 00:21:08,439 Speaker 1: They set up three thousand universal child care centers. The 447 00:21:08,440 --> 00:21:11,040 Speaker 1: women could join the workforce. Second the war was over, 448 00:21:11,200 --> 00:21:13,960 Speaker 1: men came back, sent women home. They've disbanded three thousand 449 00:21:14,040 --> 00:21:16,960 Speaker 1: child care centers. We almost had universal child here again 450 00:21:17,080 --> 00:21:19,200 Speaker 1: Nixon vetoed it and said, we don't want the government 451 00:21:19,400 --> 00:21:23,119 Speaker 1: to be too involved in the family life. The reality 452 00:21:23,160 --> 00:21:26,520 Speaker 1: is childcare is one of the most basic economic issues. 453 00:21:26,560 --> 00:21:29,240 Speaker 1: Before the pandemic, we lost fifty seven billion dollars a 454 00:21:29,320 --> 00:21:31,960 Speaker 1: year because of the lack of childcare. If you don't 455 00:21:31,960 --> 00:21:34,679 Speaker 1: have so many in office who understands that you're not 456 00:21:34,720 --> 00:21:37,480 Speaker 1: going to have policies that actually helped working families and 457 00:21:37,520 --> 00:21:40,520 Speaker 1: the realities by the time you realize how screwed up 458 00:21:40,520 --> 00:21:43,440 Speaker 1: our policies are in this country. As a mother, you're 459 00:21:43,440 --> 00:21:46,399 Speaker 1: too busy trying to survive, to survive new motherhood, to 460 00:21:46,440 --> 00:21:48,359 Speaker 1: survive keeping your job. You don't have time to go 461 00:21:48,359 --> 00:21:52,000 Speaker 1: out and fight for systemic change. I mean, I understood 462 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:54,640 Speaker 1: this very very well. I knew how bet our policies were. 463 00:21:54,840 --> 00:21:56,880 Speaker 1: But frankly, I thought I would have access to pay leave, 464 00:21:56,880 --> 00:21:58,080 Speaker 1: but I thought I'd be able to get into a 465 00:21:58,160 --> 00:22:01,119 Speaker 1: child care center. Neither were true. Neither. I mean, I 466 00:22:01,160 --> 00:22:03,840 Speaker 1: remember there was a woman who was in there when 467 00:22:03,840 --> 00:22:05,640 Speaker 1: I was looking at one of the child care centers, 468 00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:08,240 Speaker 1: and she knew that her boyfriend was about to propose. 469 00:22:08,600 --> 00:22:12,440 Speaker 1: She literally calculated when he would go, when she would 470 00:22:12,480 --> 00:22:16,080 Speaker 1: get married, when the baby, when she would do you 471 00:22:16,080 --> 00:22:18,800 Speaker 1: know how long? How many forward advanced three years down 472 00:22:18,800 --> 00:22:19,880 Speaker 1: the road, and she put her name on the way 473 00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:24,040 Speaker 1: list three years. I was six months pregnant. I was screwed. Yeah, 474 00:22:24,040 --> 00:22:25,920 Speaker 1: so you have to move home to Long Island and 475 00:22:26,040 --> 00:22:28,960 Speaker 1: pray that your mom is available and at a financial 476 00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:31,800 Speaker 1: place where she can, like either retire or only work 477 00:22:31,880 --> 00:22:33,760 Speaker 1: part time so that she can help you part time. 478 00:22:34,320 --> 00:22:36,480 Speaker 1: It's awful. I moved back to Long Island for free 479 00:22:36,560 --> 00:22:39,439 Speaker 1: childcare so that my mom could watch my babies, and 480 00:22:39,560 --> 00:22:42,960 Speaker 1: I changed my entire work schedule. For the first two years, 481 00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:45,760 Speaker 1: I worked only in the evenings. I was home with babies. 482 00:22:45,840 --> 00:22:47,359 Speaker 1: She came home with three thirty, and then I would 483 00:22:47,359 --> 00:22:49,719 Speaker 1: work from three thirty dinner time, I put everybody to bed, 484 00:22:49,760 --> 00:22:53,760 Speaker 1: and then I'd work all night. Hmm. It seems just 485 00:22:53,880 --> 00:22:57,080 Speaker 1: so herculean. It seems such a huge amount to climb. 486 00:22:57,119 --> 00:23:00,480 Speaker 1: And I'm so impressed by you trying to fight this, 487 00:23:00,640 --> 00:23:02,960 Speaker 1: and I pray that we see it in our lifetime. 488 00:23:03,119 --> 00:23:05,800 Speaker 1: In your opinion, what's the top country that you would 489 00:23:05,840 --> 00:23:09,600 Speaker 1: like the US to model after. What other country has 490 00:23:09,720 --> 00:23:14,199 Speaker 1: their fucking priorities in the right place? Nor Nordic countries have. 491 00:23:15,320 --> 00:23:18,400 Speaker 1: I mean Germany. Germany is great, Canada is better, England 492 00:23:18,440 --> 00:23:21,760 Speaker 1: is better. But Nordic countries, it's interesting they have about 493 00:23:22,440 --> 00:23:26,000 Speaker 1: of their legislators are are women, So I always wonder 494 00:23:26,040 --> 00:23:28,000 Speaker 1: if it's the fact that they have more women in office. 495 00:23:28,080 --> 00:23:30,080 Speaker 1: We actually have good policies there, or is the fact 496 00:23:30,080 --> 00:23:31,840 Speaker 1: that they have good policies there that they have more 497 00:23:31,840 --> 00:23:33,960 Speaker 1: women in office? Yeah, what is it the chicken or 498 00:23:33,960 --> 00:23:36,200 Speaker 1: the egg? It comes first. I don't know, it's research 499 00:23:36,240 --> 00:23:39,520 Speaker 1: I want to do. Actually, because they have things like 500 00:23:39,800 --> 00:23:42,960 Speaker 1: real paid family leave, paid parentally for both moms and dads. 501 00:23:42,960 --> 00:23:44,560 Speaker 1: I mean, there's so many one countries that have paid 502 00:23:44,560 --> 00:23:48,920 Speaker 1: paternity leave. They should, they should, they need to. That's 503 00:23:48,920 --> 00:23:51,720 Speaker 1: when you actually have men who are connected to their 504 00:23:51,840 --> 00:23:54,959 Speaker 1: child and their wife and the identity shift and like 505 00:23:55,600 --> 00:23:58,160 Speaker 1: making a good human being and all of these things. 506 00:23:58,800 --> 00:24:01,800 Speaker 1: Nordic countries I've heard. Is this even true that like 507 00:24:02,040 --> 00:24:05,399 Speaker 1: there's paid maternity and paternity leave for up to a 508 00:24:05,480 --> 00:24:11,760 Speaker 1: year in some cases more. Oh so it's possible. I mean, 509 00:24:11,760 --> 00:24:14,240 Speaker 1: these are thriving countries that are doing well, and it's 510 00:24:14,320 --> 00:24:17,480 Speaker 1: it is possible. Why is it not possible here? We 511 00:24:17,560 --> 00:24:21,800 Speaker 1: don't prioritize spending on children. We have so many children 512 00:24:21,840 --> 00:24:24,200 Speaker 1: live in poverty. One in you know, one and four 513 00:24:24,240 --> 00:24:26,640 Speaker 1: women will go back to work ten days after giving birth. 514 00:24:26,720 --> 00:24:29,680 Speaker 1: You're still bleeding ten days after giving birth. Yeah you're 515 00:24:29,680 --> 00:24:32,360 Speaker 1: still in the diaper, Yeah, you're still in pageant. Going 516 00:24:32,400 --> 00:24:34,320 Speaker 1: back to work you know, I had a friend who 517 00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:36,760 Speaker 1: went back to work because her husband was a contractor 518 00:24:36,840 --> 00:24:39,480 Speaker 1: didn't have health insurance, so her her job paid for 519 00:24:39,480 --> 00:24:42,000 Speaker 1: the health insurance because if they had gone on the 520 00:24:42,080 --> 00:24:44,080 Speaker 1: A c A, it wouldn't have covered enough of the 521 00:24:44,280 --> 00:24:46,240 Speaker 1: medicine that he needed. He had a heart condition, wouldn't 522 00:24:46,240 --> 00:24:48,160 Speaker 1: cover it enough, so she went back to work. She's 523 00:24:48,160 --> 00:24:50,879 Speaker 1: spent all of her salary plus like four dollars of 524 00:24:50,920 --> 00:24:54,560 Speaker 1: his salary just to paper childcare. One of our accounty legislators, 525 00:24:54,760 --> 00:24:57,879 Speaker 1: Rebecca Mintiell, who we helped elect in Georgia, she spends 526 00:24:57,880 --> 00:25:00,639 Speaker 1: almost three of her income as a to legislator for 527 00:25:00,760 --> 00:25:03,040 Speaker 1: child here for her four children. You need more people 528 00:25:03,080 --> 00:25:05,199 Speaker 1: like that in office? Is they're the ones who are 529 00:25:05,200 --> 00:25:08,800 Speaker 1: going to prioritize actually taking care of families in this country. 530 00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:12,800 Speaker 1: Do we think that more women and mothers are in 531 00:25:12,920 --> 00:25:16,320 Speaker 1: government because they have an amazing maternity portunity, paid leave 532 00:25:16,400 --> 00:25:18,480 Speaker 1: plan or is it the opposite? And I also want 533 00:25:18,520 --> 00:25:20,840 Speaker 1: to know what are the benefits in these Nordic countries. 534 00:25:21,320 --> 00:25:24,480 Speaker 1: Have we seen what the benefits are to supporting families 535 00:25:24,480 --> 00:25:27,640 Speaker 1: in this way? Yeah? So my theory is that it's 536 00:25:27,680 --> 00:25:29,920 Speaker 1: easier to run for office in many of those countries, 537 00:25:30,040 --> 00:25:33,240 Speaker 1: the cycle is not as long. There's publicly funded elections. 538 00:25:33,240 --> 00:25:36,000 Speaker 1: In many cases in the US, when you run for Congress, 539 00:25:36,000 --> 00:25:39,199 Speaker 1: in particular, the Dietrich will want you to start running 540 00:25:39,440 --> 00:25:42,440 Speaker 1: in January of the off cycle. Literally, that's two years 541 00:25:42,440 --> 00:25:44,760 Speaker 1: almost a running for profice and you have to raise 542 00:25:44,840 --> 00:25:47,600 Speaker 1: millions of dollars. If you had publicly financed elections and 543 00:25:47,680 --> 00:25:50,920 Speaker 1: a two month election cycle, it would be a completely 544 00:25:50,960 --> 00:25:53,640 Speaker 1: different story. You know, you look at New York City 545 00:25:53,680 --> 00:25:56,600 Speaker 1: council races right now, they have public funding, they have matching, 546 00:25:56,960 --> 00:25:59,080 Speaker 1: you know, grants, So all of a sudden and all 547 00:25:59,080 --> 00:26:01,200 Speaker 1: of these seats are been have I honestly can't even 548 00:26:01,200 --> 00:26:03,399 Speaker 1: tell you how many candidates, you know, you look at 549 00:26:03,400 --> 00:26:06,560 Speaker 1: one particular seat, there twelve candidates running. Because it's easier, 550 00:26:06,600 --> 00:26:09,400 Speaker 1: the barriers to entry are now a little bit very easier, right, 551 00:26:09,440 --> 00:26:11,879 Speaker 1: You don't need millions, and you don't need two years 552 00:26:11,920 --> 00:26:15,480 Speaker 1: of being able to work. In other countries, it's easier 553 00:26:15,520 --> 00:26:18,320 Speaker 1: to run for office, and more people will even step 554 00:26:18,400 --> 00:26:21,120 Speaker 1: up and do it. It's it's difficult, especially for state 555 00:26:21,200 --> 00:26:24,640 Speaker 1: level seats. In the US, it's difficult to get working parents, 556 00:26:24,960 --> 00:26:27,520 Speaker 1: especially working moms, to run for office. There are some 557 00:26:27,560 --> 00:26:30,600 Speaker 1: state legislators who get paid a hundred dollars percession. You know, 558 00:26:30,680 --> 00:26:33,639 Speaker 1: in in Virginia you're getting paid seventeen thousand dollars. In George, 559 00:26:33,680 --> 00:26:35,679 Speaker 1: I think it's maybe thirty thou dollars. But I mean 560 00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:39,320 Speaker 1: these are not livable wages. It's very difficult for somebody 561 00:26:39,400 --> 00:26:41,600 Speaker 1: q is a working parent to somebody who is not 562 00:26:41,640 --> 00:26:44,000 Speaker 1: independently wealthy. The people who usually run for state seats 563 00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:47,639 Speaker 1: independently wealthy are independently wealthy, retired old, much older, so 564 00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:51,080 Speaker 1: that they actually have the ability to It's a weird schedule, 565 00:26:51,160 --> 00:26:52,280 Speaker 1: and you need to be able to take lots of 566 00:26:52,280 --> 00:26:54,240 Speaker 1: time off from your regular job. But it's not a 567 00:26:54,240 --> 00:26:57,679 Speaker 1: full time job in many places. There's so much, like, 568 00:26:57,800 --> 00:27:00,800 Speaker 1: so many structural changes that we need to change to 569 00:27:00,920 --> 00:27:04,280 Speaker 1: make running for office something that working parents can do. 570 00:27:16,600 --> 00:27:19,439 Speaker 1: What advice do you have to any of our mother's 571 00:27:19,480 --> 00:27:24,480 Speaker 1: listening who may be fired up run? How do they 572 00:27:24,560 --> 00:27:28,480 Speaker 1: do that? Contact bot mama. That's the first thing. Our 573 00:27:28,560 --> 00:27:31,880 Speaker 1: pack website is about Mama dot org. Our foundation website 574 00:27:31,920 --> 00:27:35,160 Speaker 1: is about Mama Foundation dot org. I will tell you 575 00:27:35,240 --> 00:27:38,320 Speaker 1: that running for office is not as difficult as it seems. 576 00:27:38,880 --> 00:27:41,959 Speaker 1: It's it's hard, it is all consuming. You give up 577 00:27:41,960 --> 00:27:43,720 Speaker 1: your whole life to do it in many cases, especially 578 00:27:43,720 --> 00:27:46,679 Speaker 1: if you're running at the better level. But I remember 579 00:27:46,720 --> 00:27:48,680 Speaker 1: getting into the race and thinking, oh my god, Peter 580 00:27:48,800 --> 00:27:50,520 Speaker 1: King has been there since I was a kid, who 581 00:27:50,600 --> 00:27:53,840 Speaker 1: knows Everything's so smart. The first debate I had with him, 582 00:27:53,840 --> 00:27:55,800 Speaker 1: and he had never debated a candidate in the last 583 00:27:56,440 --> 00:27:59,480 Speaker 1: eight years. I remember driving to the library and I 584 00:27:59,520 --> 00:28:01,639 Speaker 1: remember too an entire box that kept abysmal in the 585 00:28:01,640 --> 00:28:03,240 Speaker 1: back of the car, and my mom and my husband 586 00:28:03,240 --> 00:28:05,280 Speaker 1: were driving, and I always like stick to my stomach, 587 00:28:05,640 --> 00:28:07,600 Speaker 1: and they asked the first question and he opened his 588 00:28:07,680 --> 00:28:11,040 Speaker 1: mouth and every nervousness, just all of my nerves just 589 00:28:11,119 --> 00:28:13,639 Speaker 1: drifted out of my body because he didn't know the answer, 590 00:28:13,760 --> 00:28:16,399 Speaker 1: and he just genuinely did not care about the constituents. 591 00:28:16,440 --> 00:28:18,600 Speaker 1: And so you think that these people who are in 592 00:28:18,640 --> 00:28:21,200 Speaker 1: office are smart and powerful and have all this experience. 593 00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:24,040 Speaker 1: And women have to be asked seven times on average. 594 00:28:24,080 --> 00:28:25,399 Speaker 1: And this is not for mom. So if you're a 595 00:28:25,400 --> 00:28:26,800 Speaker 1: mom with young kids, you have to be asked like 596 00:28:26,880 --> 00:28:29,359 Speaker 1: thirty times. But women have to be asked seven times 597 00:28:29,359 --> 00:28:32,080 Speaker 1: on average before they even consider running, and most will 598 00:28:32,119 --> 00:28:34,400 Speaker 1: start thinking I should run for town counsel or school board. 599 00:28:34,480 --> 00:28:36,119 Speaker 1: Men will say should I start with the House through 600 00:28:36,160 --> 00:28:40,600 Speaker 1: the Senate. Wow, you are probably more qualified and know 601 00:28:40,680 --> 00:28:43,160 Speaker 1: more about the issues and care more than the person 602 00:28:43,200 --> 00:28:45,480 Speaker 1: you're going to run against. There are so many people 603 00:28:45,520 --> 00:28:49,880 Speaker 1: who are there because it was the right timing or 604 00:28:49,920 --> 00:28:52,760 Speaker 1: the political alliance is aligned. They're not there because they 605 00:28:52,760 --> 00:28:54,480 Speaker 1: work their butts off. There are some people who are 606 00:28:54,480 --> 00:28:56,400 Speaker 1: there because of that, but there are also a lot 607 00:28:56,400 --> 00:28:58,040 Speaker 1: of people there there because they knew the right person 608 00:28:58,040 --> 00:29:00,000 Speaker 1: and they were there at the right time. Sure, sure, 609 00:29:00,280 --> 00:29:02,960 Speaker 1: run for office. That's that's my advice. Call us. We 610 00:29:03,000 --> 00:29:06,200 Speaker 1: will help you, and you should run. What about mothers 611 00:29:06,240 --> 00:29:10,120 Speaker 1: who want to create change but are really terrified of 612 00:29:10,160 --> 00:29:13,560 Speaker 1: the time and giving up their whole life. How is 613 00:29:13,600 --> 00:29:18,520 Speaker 1: it possible to be a mom and create change without 614 00:29:18,640 --> 00:29:22,800 Speaker 1: dedicating all the things that you did. Yes, you should 615 00:29:22,960 --> 00:29:25,720 Speaker 1: volunteer for other women, for other moms who are running 616 00:29:25,720 --> 00:29:29,360 Speaker 1: for office. Again, contact us, reach out, throw a fundraiser. 617 00:29:29,680 --> 00:29:31,880 Speaker 1: The most important thing that you can do is to 618 00:29:32,080 --> 00:29:35,160 Speaker 1: raise funds to help get these moms into office. Unfortunately, 619 00:29:35,200 --> 00:29:39,960 Speaker 1: until we have publicly finance selections, you show strength through fundraising. Again, 620 00:29:40,040 --> 00:29:42,600 Speaker 1: nobody took me seriously until I started to outraise King. 621 00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:45,640 Speaker 1: Once I started to outraise King, everybody was like, oh, Ship, 622 00:29:45,720 --> 00:29:49,280 Speaker 1: who's this woman. You can raise money, you can have 623 00:29:49,520 --> 00:29:51,680 Speaker 1: the power, you can hire the stuff, you can actually 624 00:29:51,720 --> 00:29:55,200 Speaker 1: get out there and talk to voters. Unfortunately, that's what's 625 00:29:55,240 --> 00:29:58,320 Speaker 1: the most important part right now of running profice is 626 00:29:58,400 --> 00:30:00,240 Speaker 1: you need to You need to be able to raise 627 00:30:00,280 --> 00:30:02,840 Speaker 1: the money to run a campaign. It's hard to do. 628 00:30:02,960 --> 00:30:05,560 Speaker 1: It's very hard to do. So you can help throw fundraiser, 629 00:30:05,880 --> 00:30:07,680 Speaker 1: if you can help knock on doors, if you can 630 00:30:07,680 --> 00:30:10,960 Speaker 1: help make phone calls, text bank, do anything for other 631 00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:13,760 Speaker 1: women or other moms running exactly for other moms who 632 00:30:13,800 --> 00:30:16,560 Speaker 1: are running for seats that you think you can flip. Volunteer. 633 00:30:16,800 --> 00:30:19,120 Speaker 1: Volunteer to raise funds and to get out and talk 634 00:30:19,160 --> 00:30:21,160 Speaker 1: to voters. It's the most important thing you can do 635 00:30:21,400 --> 00:30:22,960 Speaker 1: because no one can do it on their own. I 636 00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:25,959 Speaker 1: have the most incredible volunteer team, and because we had 637 00:30:25,960 --> 00:30:27,800 Speaker 1: such great volunteers, we were able to knock on more 638 00:30:27,840 --> 00:30:30,520 Speaker 1: than two doors. I remember thinking in the beginning, how 639 00:30:30,560 --> 00:30:32,880 Speaker 1: are we going to contact all these voters? We did 640 00:30:32,880 --> 00:30:36,680 Speaker 1: it because we had an incredible crew of volunteers. Wow. 641 00:30:36,960 --> 00:30:41,560 Speaker 1: So impressive. What strategies can moms used to gain confidence 642 00:30:41,600 --> 00:30:45,320 Speaker 1: and talk themselves into going for a higher office position. 643 00:30:45,600 --> 00:30:47,800 Speaker 1: So I will tell you in the beginning, when I 644 00:30:47,800 --> 00:30:50,520 Speaker 1: started fundraising, I had a really hard time asking for 645 00:30:50,640 --> 00:30:54,000 Speaker 1: max out contributions. I felt guilty. I felt like I 646 00:30:54,040 --> 00:30:56,560 Speaker 1: was asking for money for me and a candidate who 647 00:30:56,600 --> 00:30:58,680 Speaker 1: was running California who was getting all these max outs. 648 00:30:58,680 --> 00:31:00,120 Speaker 1: I said, Torris, and how are you doing this? And 649 00:31:00,160 --> 00:31:02,120 Speaker 1: she said, you have to stop thinking about it as 650 00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:05,360 Speaker 1: money for you. It's an investment in your community. You 651 00:31:05,440 --> 00:31:08,480 Speaker 1: are not running for yourself. You're running for your kids. 652 00:31:08,640 --> 00:31:11,320 Speaker 1: You're running for your kids friends. You're running for your friends. 653 00:31:11,320 --> 00:31:14,640 Speaker 1: You're running for everybody in your community. You're there to 654 00:31:14,720 --> 00:31:17,040 Speaker 1: be their voice. So if you don't worry about you 655 00:31:17,080 --> 00:31:19,560 Speaker 1: know you yourself, like, what you look like, what you 656 00:31:19,600 --> 00:31:21,400 Speaker 1: sound like, but you are there to be an advocate 657 00:31:21,440 --> 00:31:23,880 Speaker 1: for them, and you realize that you're trying to build 658 00:31:23,880 --> 00:31:27,520 Speaker 1: a better community, it changes. There's a perspective shift in this. 659 00:31:28,080 --> 00:31:30,320 Speaker 1: The first televised debate I had with King, I was 660 00:31:30,440 --> 00:31:33,680 Speaker 1: very nervous. As long as you care, that's all that matters. 661 00:31:34,280 --> 00:31:37,920 Speaker 1: I remember walking out of that debate and my campaign 662 00:31:37,920 --> 00:31:40,400 Speaker 1: manager who always had something to say. Remember her looking 663 00:31:40,400 --> 00:31:42,360 Speaker 1: at me and she said, I have I am speechless, 664 00:31:42,360 --> 00:31:45,240 Speaker 1: I have no words. And I remember walking up going 665 00:31:45,280 --> 00:31:47,160 Speaker 1: I think I did terribly. I felt like, you know, 666 00:31:47,240 --> 00:31:49,120 Speaker 1: I was emotional all of this. I watched it the 667 00:31:49,120 --> 00:31:50,560 Speaker 1: next day. I bought a glass of wine. I sat 668 00:31:50,560 --> 00:31:53,600 Speaker 1: down my mom and my husband. My mom couldn't stop laughing. 669 00:31:53,680 --> 00:31:55,360 Speaker 1: She had to keep pausing it because she was laughing 670 00:31:55,400 --> 00:31:57,280 Speaker 1: so hard. She's like, it's like watching you in the 671 00:31:57,360 --> 00:32:00,040 Speaker 1: kitchen yell at me about politics, and it was you 672 00:32:00,480 --> 00:32:02,520 Speaker 1: just go in there and you yourself. And I will 673 00:32:02,520 --> 00:32:04,600 Speaker 1: tell you that every mom who I've ever met who's 674 00:32:04,640 --> 00:32:07,040 Speaker 1: run with young kids, none of them are doing it 675 00:32:07,200 --> 00:32:09,320 Speaker 1: as a political crement. They're all doing it because there 676 00:32:09,360 --> 00:32:12,320 Speaker 1: was one particular issue that they reached out to their 677 00:32:12,360 --> 00:32:14,880 Speaker 1: representative about that said you know, I need help with this, 678 00:32:15,040 --> 00:32:16,840 Speaker 1: and either they didn't get any response or they got 679 00:32:16,880 --> 00:32:18,760 Speaker 1: a really nasty your response, and they said, you know what, 680 00:32:19,040 --> 00:32:21,080 Speaker 1: I'm gonna do this, I'm going to be the change. 681 00:32:21,120 --> 00:32:24,800 Speaker 1: Exactly how can we influence change in this country? Do 682 00:32:24,840 --> 00:32:26,880 Speaker 1: you think we're going to see Luba? I feel like 683 00:32:26,880 --> 00:32:33,480 Speaker 1: we're the similar age will our daughters have paid maternity. Yes, yes, 684 00:32:34,000 --> 00:32:35,520 Speaker 1: I don't know if it will be good enough, but 685 00:32:35,560 --> 00:32:38,320 Speaker 1: it'll be a start. My daughter is about to be seven, 686 00:32:38,360 --> 00:32:40,160 Speaker 1: and I think about what her life will be like. 687 00:32:40,200 --> 00:32:42,240 Speaker 1: I remember when Donald Trump was selected, and I remember 688 00:32:42,280 --> 00:32:44,720 Speaker 1: sitting on the couch watching the numbers roll in, and 689 00:32:44,800 --> 00:32:47,280 Speaker 1: Nicholas was nursing and he was a couple of months old, 690 00:32:47,320 --> 00:32:49,520 Speaker 1: and I remember looking at Nila, who was just too 691 00:32:49,760 --> 00:32:53,160 Speaker 1: and thinking this cannot be the first president that she remembers. 692 00:32:53,640 --> 00:32:56,120 Speaker 1: This is a man who probably boasts actually assaulting woman, 693 00:32:56,120 --> 00:32:58,000 Speaker 1: and he's the president. And I have a two year old, 694 00:32:58,280 --> 00:33:01,160 Speaker 1: and everything that I've done over the last on what 695 00:33:01,240 --> 00:33:03,880 Speaker 1: five years now has been specifically because I don't want 696 00:33:03,880 --> 00:33:06,120 Speaker 1: my kids to grow up in a country that treats 697 00:33:06,120 --> 00:33:09,680 Speaker 1: people this way. It will change if we keep working 698 00:33:09,720 --> 00:33:13,360 Speaker 1: to help good people run for office. If you work 699 00:33:13,480 --> 00:33:15,680 Speaker 1: to get good people in topice, people who care about 700 00:33:15,720 --> 00:33:18,040 Speaker 1: the issues, people who are going to fight the good fights, 701 00:33:18,080 --> 00:33:20,160 Speaker 1: who are going to stand up for people who are 702 00:33:20,200 --> 00:33:22,680 Speaker 1: going to pass legislation that actually helps working people in 703 00:33:22,680 --> 00:33:25,480 Speaker 1: this country, it will change. It's not going to change overnight. 704 00:33:26,000 --> 00:33:28,200 Speaker 1: I mean, you look at right now with with Biden's 705 00:33:28,200 --> 00:33:31,280 Speaker 1: American Family's Plan it's not your personal childcare. But it's 706 00:33:31,280 --> 00:33:33,840 Speaker 1: the first time we have a president talking about childcare 707 00:33:33,880 --> 00:33:36,760 Speaker 1: as an infrastructure issue. You know when I when I ran, 708 00:33:37,480 --> 00:33:40,560 Speaker 1: anytime I talked about paid leave or childcare, someone would 709 00:33:40,600 --> 00:33:42,480 Speaker 1: always say, stick to the bread and butter issues and 710 00:33:42,520 --> 00:33:47,160 Speaker 1: ignore the women's issues. Oh god, if we had similar 711 00:33:47,240 --> 00:33:50,640 Speaker 1: labor force participation arts to countries like Canada and Germany 712 00:33:50,720 --> 00:33:53,960 Speaker 1: that have paid family that have subsidized childcare, we'd have 713 00:33:54,120 --> 00:33:56,280 Speaker 1: five and a half million more women in the workforce. 714 00:33:56,440 --> 00:33:59,360 Speaker 1: We'd add five hundred billion dollars a year to the economy. 715 00:34:00,120 --> 00:34:03,360 Speaker 1: This is not a woman's issue. It is a family 716 00:34:03,400 --> 00:34:06,720 Speaker 1: issue and economic issue. It's an issue that affects every American. 717 00:34:07,120 --> 00:34:09,839 Speaker 1: And for the first time we saw presidential debates where 718 00:34:09,840 --> 00:34:11,680 Speaker 1: they were talking about child care and paid leave. So 719 00:34:11,760 --> 00:34:15,200 Speaker 1: there is already a ship and because of this pandemic, 720 00:34:15,320 --> 00:34:17,480 Speaker 1: because if everything that has happened over the last year, 721 00:34:17,760 --> 00:34:20,040 Speaker 1: you finally are starting to see people understand that it's 722 00:34:20,080 --> 00:34:23,080 Speaker 1: an economic issue, it's an infrastructure issue. People are finally 723 00:34:23,120 --> 00:34:26,040 Speaker 1: beginning to get it. But even the American Families Plan 724 00:34:26,080 --> 00:34:27,839 Speaker 1: doesn't go up hard enough. I was going to say, 725 00:34:27,840 --> 00:34:29,719 Speaker 1: what do you think of the American Family's Plan, So 726 00:34:29,840 --> 00:34:33,399 Speaker 1: it's not universal childcare, it's universal pre K. Basically, what 727 00:34:33,440 --> 00:34:36,000 Speaker 1: they say is affordable is capping what a family spends 728 00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:39,040 Speaker 1: on childcare at seven percent of their income. Biden's plan 729 00:34:39,320 --> 00:34:41,480 Speaker 1: only hast what a family spends up to seven percent 730 00:34:41,840 --> 00:34:44,720 Speaker 1: if you're making one point five times your state's median income. 731 00:34:45,120 --> 00:34:46,840 Speaker 1: So if you live in New York City, you make 732 00:34:46,880 --> 00:34:48,760 Speaker 1: a hundred and two thousand dollars a year, which sounds 733 00:34:48,760 --> 00:34:52,560 Speaker 1: like a lot, you could be spending fifty dollars almost 734 00:34:52,600 --> 00:34:55,400 Speaker 1: sixty dollars on childcare if you have two kids in childcare, 735 00:34:56,120 --> 00:34:58,520 Speaker 1: sixty percent of your own If you live in Georgia 736 00:34:58,520 --> 00:35:01,360 Speaker 1: and you're making like eighty and your two kids in childcare, 737 00:35:01,400 --> 00:35:05,360 Speaker 1: you're still spending about your income on childcare. That's a 738 00:35:05,520 --> 00:35:08,280 Speaker 1: percent camp It needs to be for everybody. It doesn't 739 00:35:08,280 --> 00:35:09,799 Speaker 1: need to be for people only making up to one 740 00:35:09,800 --> 00:35:11,759 Speaker 1: point five times. So that's the first thing I think 741 00:35:11,800 --> 00:35:15,000 Speaker 1: needs to change. Um. The second thing is there needs 742 00:35:15,000 --> 00:35:18,520 Speaker 1: to be more funding. This does not provide universal childcare 743 00:35:18,640 --> 00:35:21,319 Speaker 1: for so many kids in this country. It doesn't go 744 00:35:21,400 --> 00:35:24,800 Speaker 1: far enough, and it's a great start, it's a down payment, 745 00:35:25,200 --> 00:35:28,520 Speaker 1: but even it doesn't even provide enough funding to to 746 00:35:28,520 --> 00:35:32,920 Speaker 1: get Patty Murray's original bill passed. So that is I'm 747 00:35:32,920 --> 00:35:35,640 Speaker 1: glad that we're talking about it. I mean, I've never 748 00:35:35,680 --> 00:35:38,319 Speaker 1: even seen a president talk about it that haven't be 749 00:35:38,400 --> 00:35:42,120 Speaker 1: in the foreground. So that is great. It's a start. 750 00:35:42,640 --> 00:35:46,000 Speaker 1: The family leave policy is literally only twelve weeks. And 751 00:35:46,239 --> 00:35:49,480 Speaker 1: you you've had baby, you understand that that's nothing. Not 752 00:35:49,719 --> 00:35:53,040 Speaker 1: saying oh my god, when my friends being like, oh 753 00:35:53,080 --> 00:35:56,040 Speaker 1: my god, like three months and my my company is 754 00:35:56,080 --> 00:35:57,719 Speaker 1: never going to make it without me for three months, 755 00:35:57,719 --> 00:36:02,040 Speaker 1: I'm like you, guys, three months is fucking nothing. Even still, 756 00:36:02,239 --> 00:36:04,960 Speaker 1: you haven't like healed correctly, your stomach abs are not 757 00:36:05,120 --> 00:36:07,879 Speaker 1: back for babies. Eyes are barely open it up. Your 758 00:36:07,920 --> 00:36:10,799 Speaker 1: baby's eyes. Yeah, I know, it's nothing. It's absolutely nothing. 759 00:36:11,239 --> 00:36:13,400 Speaker 1: I mean many countries have a year and more, but 760 00:36:13,440 --> 00:36:15,680 Speaker 1: there should be bare minimum of six months. And you 761 00:36:15,719 --> 00:36:19,080 Speaker 1: look at you look at childcare. Okay, childcare has been 762 00:36:19,080 --> 00:36:23,400 Speaker 1: a failed industry forever because parents are spending so much money. 763 00:36:23,400 --> 00:36:25,080 Speaker 1: But then you look at the child care workers. The 764 00:36:25,080 --> 00:36:27,200 Speaker 1: people who own child care centers, they operate on razors 765 00:36:27,200 --> 00:36:29,240 Speaker 1: thin margins. So people who work at child your centers 766 00:36:29,239 --> 00:36:32,319 Speaker 1: are overwhelmingly women. Of color, and they're getting paid, if 767 00:36:32,360 --> 00:36:34,719 Speaker 1: they're lucky, ten dollars an hour. So, for instance, if 768 00:36:34,760 --> 00:36:36,560 Speaker 1: you work in a kindergarten, you get paid thirty dollars 769 00:36:36,600 --> 00:36:38,279 Speaker 1: an hour. If you work in a child care center, 770 00:36:38,280 --> 00:36:40,640 Speaker 1: you're getting paid ten dollars an hour. Half of our 771 00:36:40,719 --> 00:36:44,600 Speaker 1: child care center workers literally live on public assistance. They 772 00:36:44,640 --> 00:36:47,160 Speaker 1: can't afford to even send their own kids to save childcare. 773 00:36:47,640 --> 00:36:50,080 Speaker 1: So this is an industry that does not work without 774 00:36:50,280 --> 00:36:53,640 Speaker 1: proper investment. We need to invest in in childcare the 775 00:36:53,640 --> 00:36:55,840 Speaker 1: way that we invest in kindergarten through high school. It 776 00:36:55,880 --> 00:36:59,240 Speaker 1: needs to be a public good. What are some straightforward, 777 00:36:59,600 --> 00:37:02,320 Speaker 1: easy to understand resources that parents can refer to in 778 00:37:02,480 --> 00:37:07,120 Speaker 1: order to learn more about candidates and all the causes 779 00:37:07,120 --> 00:37:09,920 Speaker 1: they stand for. Go to our websites. You can start 780 00:37:09,960 --> 00:37:12,360 Speaker 1: there the Foundation website. We'll talk to you all about 781 00:37:12,360 --> 00:37:14,719 Speaker 1: policy and exactly what we're doing. There are tool kids, 782 00:37:14,760 --> 00:37:17,200 Speaker 1: we have social media toolkits, we have legislator toolkits, we 783 00:37:17,200 --> 00:37:19,920 Speaker 1: have candidate toolkits. We have everything that you need on 784 00:37:19,960 --> 00:37:22,680 Speaker 1: the Foundation website, the pack website, you can apply if 785 00:37:22,680 --> 00:37:25,080 Speaker 1: you're running for office, but you can click on all 786 00:37:25,120 --> 00:37:27,040 Speaker 1: of our all of our candidates, all of the people 787 00:37:27,080 --> 00:37:29,040 Speaker 1: that we're supporting the moms across the country and learn 788 00:37:29,080 --> 00:37:33,040 Speaker 1: about them and learn about their races and support them. Guys, 789 00:37:33,120 --> 00:37:36,000 Speaker 1: don't you here. I just think this is all so inspiring. 790 00:37:36,280 --> 00:37:40,040 Speaker 1: I mean, you're all are really walking the walk. Finish 791 00:37:40,120 --> 00:37:47,520 Speaker 1: this sentence. Parenthood is hard and incredible. You can't really 792 00:37:47,560 --> 00:37:49,879 Speaker 1: separate them. My husband, we were in the grocery store 793 00:37:49,880 --> 00:37:51,360 Speaker 1: the other day and we had all three of them 794 00:37:51,400 --> 00:37:52,759 Speaker 1: with us, and somebody came up to us and it 795 00:37:52,840 --> 00:37:54,279 Speaker 1: was a man, of course, and it's like, I don't 796 00:37:54,280 --> 00:37:56,600 Speaker 1: miss those days. And my husband's like, I don't know 797 00:37:56,600 --> 00:37:58,239 Speaker 1: if I'm gonna miss these days. I don't think I'm 798 00:37:58,239 --> 00:38:01,080 Speaker 1: going to. And I looked at only I'm gonna miss 799 00:38:01,160 --> 00:38:05,640 Speaker 1: these days Like it is physically like somebody actually said that. 800 00:38:05,800 --> 00:38:07,320 Speaker 1: They're like when you have young kids, it's like all 801 00:38:07,480 --> 00:38:10,399 Speaker 1: it's all physical. It's physically consuming, you're trying to protect them, 802 00:38:10,680 --> 00:38:13,040 Speaker 1: and then as they get older, it's much more emotionally consuming. 803 00:38:13,080 --> 00:38:15,600 Speaker 1: I haven't gotten to that art yet, but I'm gonna 804 00:38:15,640 --> 00:38:18,880 Speaker 1: miss these days. I it is hard as hell. It 805 00:38:19,000 --> 00:38:21,319 Speaker 1: is literally all consuming, but it's the most incredible thing. 806 00:38:21,320 --> 00:38:23,320 Speaker 1: I Mean, you get a front rosie to the most 807 00:38:23,480 --> 00:38:27,480 Speaker 1: incredible thing ever. You're literally raising tiny little people and 808 00:38:27,480 --> 00:38:29,720 Speaker 1: getting to see them grow from these babies into these 809 00:38:29,920 --> 00:38:32,640 Speaker 1: people with their own thoughts. You know, my daughter one 810 00:38:32,680 --> 00:38:35,439 Speaker 1: of my favorite moments of my campaign, she was three 811 00:38:35,480 --> 00:38:38,400 Speaker 1: at the time, and we were at the governor. Governor 812 00:38:38,440 --> 00:38:40,520 Speaker 1: was signing the paper mean Ye Villa, New York. It 813 00:38:40,640 --> 00:38:42,359 Speaker 1: was New Year's Eve, and she said to me after 814 00:38:42,360 --> 00:38:44,279 Speaker 1: he finished speaking, she said, Mama, are you're going to 815 00:38:44,320 --> 00:38:46,319 Speaker 1: get up there and speak? And I said, no, baby, 816 00:38:46,360 --> 00:38:48,680 Speaker 1: it's not my event. And she ran up to the 817 00:38:48,680 --> 00:38:50,400 Speaker 1: podium and she asked me to pick her up, and 818 00:38:50,440 --> 00:38:53,200 Speaker 1: she gave a speech and her pepper pig dress and 819 00:38:53,239 --> 00:38:56,480 Speaker 1: it's all. My favorite photo from the entire campaign is 820 00:38:56,560 --> 00:39:03,200 Speaker 1: Milia speech because she learned that that's normal. Ah, how awesome. 821 00:39:03,280 --> 00:39:06,080 Speaker 1: I don't know. I love parenthood. It's crazy and amazing. 822 00:39:06,800 --> 00:39:11,640 Speaker 1: That's beautiful, Luba. I cannot thank you enough. Thank you 823 00:39:11,680 --> 00:39:13,680 Speaker 1: so much for coming on Katie's crib. I've learned so 824 00:39:13,760 --> 00:39:16,960 Speaker 1: much today, And you know, I usually feel pretty heartbroken 825 00:39:17,000 --> 00:39:19,080 Speaker 1: about this stuff and feel like it's just such a 826 00:39:19,120 --> 00:39:23,439 Speaker 1: mountain to climb, especially paid family leave, and especially are 827 00:39:23,640 --> 00:39:27,200 Speaker 1: horrible universal stile care issues, and I just feel like 828 00:39:27,320 --> 00:39:30,800 Speaker 1: vote Mama for everyone listening Vote Mama. It's Vote Mama 829 00:39:30,840 --> 00:39:34,040 Speaker 1: dot org and Vote Mama Foundation dot org. You can 830 00:39:34,080 --> 00:39:36,799 Speaker 1: go to to really look into all the candidates, learn 831 00:39:36,880 --> 00:39:39,160 Speaker 1: about them. You can figure out how you can get 832 00:39:39,200 --> 00:39:43,480 Speaker 1: help if you're interested and dangling your tosias in figuring 833 00:39:43,480 --> 00:39:47,279 Speaker 1: out how to run, and also figuring out if you 834 00:39:47,480 --> 00:39:50,279 Speaker 1: don't want to run yourself, how you can help, how 835 00:39:50,320 --> 00:39:52,680 Speaker 1: you can volunteer for Vote Mama, or volunteer for some 836 00:39:52,800 --> 00:39:56,399 Speaker 1: candidate in your area, or help fundraise or help knock 837 00:39:56,440 --> 00:39:59,200 Speaker 1: on doors, all of these things. We've got to work 838 00:39:59,239 --> 00:40:04,680 Speaker 1: together as mo moms to get some real structural changes happening. 839 00:40:05,320 --> 00:40:07,759 Speaker 1: Oh gosh, it's a it's a mountain, but we gotta 840 00:40:07,800 --> 00:40:09,239 Speaker 1: we gotta do it, guys, we gotta do what. We 841 00:40:09,320 --> 00:40:11,520 Speaker 1: gotta do it together. Thank you so much Luba for 842 00:40:11,560 --> 00:40:14,200 Speaker 1: coming on. Thank you, this was a lot of fun. 843 00:40:14,280 --> 00:40:16,840 Speaker 1: I appreciate it. Thank you for everyone for listening to 844 00:40:16,920 --> 00:40:20,560 Speaker 1: Katie's Crib. If you like the episode, please share, subscribe, 845 00:40:20,640 --> 00:40:22,960 Speaker 1: tell your friends, and also I want to hear from 846 00:40:23,040 --> 00:40:26,280 Speaker 1: you always so you can always find me at Katie's 847 00:40:26,320 --> 00:40:29,480 Speaker 1: Crib at Shanda land dot com. Thanks all for listening. 848 00:40:29,520 --> 00:40:34,680 Speaker 1: Bye Bye Katie's Crib is a production of Shonda land 849 00:40:34,680 --> 00:40:37,760 Speaker 1: Audio in partnership with I heart Radio. For more podcasts 850 00:40:37,760 --> 00:40:40,080 Speaker 1: from Shanna land Audio, visit the I heart Radio app, 851 00:40:40,160 --> 00:40:42,840 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite ships. 852 00:40:55,640 --> 00:41:02,279 Speaker 1: You never know. I'm me Ride into the Door.