Meghan Markle has been cold calling members of Congress to advocate for paid family leave. According to Politico the Duchess of Sussex is personally reaching out to both Republican and Democratic senators. Senator Shelley Moore Capito was driving when she received a call from Meghan. She recalled to Politico: “I’m in my car. I’m driving. It says caller ID blocked. Honestly … I thought it was Sen. Manchin. His calls come in blocked. And she goes ‘Sen. Capito?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ She said, ‘This is Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex.”
Senator Susan Collins also received a call from the member of the British royal family. “I was happy to talk with [Meghan]. But I’m more interested in what the people of Maine are telling me about it,” she told Politico. “Much to my surprise, she called me on my private line and she introduced herself as the Duchess of Sussex, which is kind of ironic.”
As is turns out, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand gave the senators’ numbers to Prince Harry’s wife. “I talked to each of the women senators and let them know that she’s going to reach out, because she only completed two of the calls,” the senator from New York shared. “She’s going to call some others, so I let them know in advance.”
Kirsten noted that Meghan “wants to be part of a working group to work on paid leave long term and she’s going to be. Whether this comes to fruition now or later, she’ll be part of a group of women that hopefully will work on paid leave together.”
Last month, the Duchess penned an open letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi . In the letter, published on the Paid Leave for All website, Meghan wrote, “I’m not an elected official, and I’m not a politician. I am, like many, an engaged citizen and a parent. And because you and your congressional colleagues have a role in shaping family outcomes for generations to come, that’s why I’m writing to you at this deeply important time—as a mom—to advocate for paid leave.”
The royal mom of two stated that “paid leave should be a national right.” “If we’re going to create a new era of family first policies, let’s make sure that includes a strong paid leave program for every American that’s guaranteed, accessible, and encouraged without stigma or penalty,” Meghan wrote. “I know how politically charged things can—and have—become. But this isn’t about Right or Left, it’s about right or wrong. This is about putting families above politics. And for a refreshing change, it’s something we all seem to agree on. At a point when everything feels so divisive, let this be a shared goal that unites us.”