As Congress looks to 2025, bipartisan proposals from the House working group on paid family leave show that the pieces for effective bipartisan action next year are already in place.

Recent polling confirms that the public wants leaders to work together to tackle the country’s biggest challenges. Paid family leave presents a unique opportunity to turn that demand for cooperation into meaningful results for families — while setting a standard for collaboration in Washington.

This bipartisan working group, established at the start of 2023, put forward a framework earlier this year to advance paid leave. However, it held off on turning these ideas into legislation until it gathered input from both parties. The working group has demonstrated something too often missing in Washington in its steps toward understanding the complexities of paid family leave: a willingness to collaborate and find common ground for the Americans this policy would benefit.

The group’s effort reflects the best of bipartisan leadership — not because it started with agreement but because it started with trust. Instead of rushing forward with incomplete ideas or falling into partisan divides, lawmakers prioritized pragmatic cooperation. By listening, learning, and laying the groundwork for a solutions-focused conversation, it achieved something worth recognizing.

Led by Reps. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., and Stephanie Bice, R-Okla., the House bipartisan working group released two discussion drafts aimed at expanding paid family leave through state-driven solutions.

The Paid Family Leave Public-Private Partnerships Act proposes grants to help states establish or enhance paid leave programs using a public-private partnership model, ensuring minimum wage replacement and benefit standards. The Interstate Paid Leave Action Network (I-PLAN) Act would create a national framework to help states coordinate benefits, share best practices, and develop systems that streamline access for workers and employers across state lines.

Paid family leave resonates across political divides because it reflects shared priorities. The family unit is the backbone of American society, and our policies should make it easier to start and sustain families in every community. Evidence shows that mothers returning to work too soon after giving birth are at a higher risk of post-partum depression and that infant mortality rates increase in the absence of paid family leave policies.

Enacting these policies would offer a different path forward, especially for children whose first years are so crucial to their development.

Families need time to care for newborns or loved ones facing health challenges. Workers want to balance their responsibilities without risking their livelihoods. And businesses, particularly small ones, benefit from policies that promote stability and retention. The bipartisan working group’s proposals send a clear message: there can be a cooperative solution if we work for it.

For Congress, this effort represents an opportunity to show the American people their leaders are ready to deliver. It’s about proving that bipartisanship still works — and that meaningful progress on issues that matter is possible. According to the most recent Georgetown Battleground Civility Poll, 95% of voters want Democrats and Republicans to work together to address the country’s biggest challenges. Seventy-two percent think compromise should take precedence, even if it means no one side gets everything they want.

These numbers underscore what Americans are looking for: not perfect solutions, but a collective effort. After years of gridlock, voters want leaders to prioritize action. The House working group shows that it’s possible to do that — by leading with pragmatism and working toward results that benefit families and businesses alike.

Of course, paid family leave is not without its complexities. It’s an issue that touches every part of American life. What works for one state or community might not work for another. That’s why the House working group’s approach — grounded in listening, flexibility and collaboration — is so important.

The group’s work reflects the belief that America’s toughest challenges are best addressed when leaders work together. Their effort on paid family leave is a model of pragmatic leadership that does more than advance solutions — it helps rebuild trust in our institutions. At a time when many Americans doubt Congress’s ability to deliver bipartisan progress on an issue like paid family leave can remind the country that leaders can still come together to solve problems that matter.

Lawmakers have a chance to build on this momentum. Paid family leave is a rare issue where interests align, offering meaningful benefits for families, workers and businesses. The details will matter, but the process matters just as much. Congress must follow the House working group’s lead: listening, collaborating and finding solutions.

Bipartisanship isn’t easy, but this group has shown it’s possible. Their work on paid family leave is a reminder that progress comes when leaders engage in good faith and set aside divisions. The question now is whether Congress will follow their example to benefit American families.

The next Congress can start off with a major win with paid leave. The House working group has shown what’s possible. Now, it’s time to take the next step — and show that bipartisan cooperation is a path to a stronger, more united future.

Paolo Mastrangelo is the co-founder and co-president of American Policy Ventures./InsideSources