The Senate failed to pass the PUMP Act on Wednesday. That hurts. But it doesn’t mean the fight is over.

Cheryl Lebedevitch, Senior Policy & Communications Manager

This week, Senator Merkley called on the Senate to pass the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections (PUMP) for Nursing Mothers Act (S. 1658) via a mechanism called unanimous consent. As we enter into the fourth month of a serious and devastating infant formula shortage, the call for passage of this bill was an important step in the fight to protect infant nutrition security. Unfortunately, it takes only one objection to keep a bill from passing through unanimous consent, and sure enough, there was an objection. The exchange took just 4 minutes.

I’ve spent more than a decade working day in and day out for this important policy change, serving alongside some of the most brilliant and passionate people I've ever encountered, and this defeat hurt.
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It means that 9 million women must go another day without the basic protections they need to combine breastfeeding and employment. Hardworking teachers and nurses and software engineers can't count on the law to support something as basic as feeding their babies.

I'm disappointed more than I can say. But I'm not done because it's not over.
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My 12-year-old and 11-year-old girls watched with me as the Senate let down moms and babies. They hugged me when I cried for our collective loss. And now, they'll watch all of us stand back up and fight another day. This is a fight worth fighting.

The PUMP Act builds on more than a decade of successful workplace accommodations for breastfeeding workers by closing the coverage gap that leaves nearly 1 in 4 women of childbearing age unprotected. The requirements are simple: break time and a private, non-bathroom space for moms to pump at work. It is specifically designed with flexibility in mind so that it can be easily implemented in every workspace. The requirements are so simple that in most settings a simple curtain or the freedom to use a wearable breast pump is all it takes to comply. Employers are already required to allow this for MOST employees. With the PUMP Act, EVERY employee would be covered.

It's a no-brainer. It's bipartisan. It's time. We're continuing to do our work, it's time for the Senate to do theirs.
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Here's what we can do right now to get this bill passed this Congressional session:
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• We need to keep a steady stream of calls and emails going into Senate offices letting them know how important this bill is for families. Call, email, and then tell everyone you can think of to do the same. Even if you've already contacted your Senators, please do it again. If you live in Alaska, Indiana, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, or Wyoming your outreach is especially critical!
  • To call, text PUMP to 747464 and the MomsRising call tool will walk you through the process. You'll be prompted to enter your zip code, and then will be connected with the office of your Senator. Click here to access detailed instructions, including a call script.
  • To email, simply use our easy action tool. It only takes a few clicks!
• We need to call attention to this bill in the media and why it matters, especially in light of the infant formula shortage. We need to keep up the pressure on lawmakers to find a way forward and pass this bill into law. Contact journalists, submit letters to the editors, publish blogs, and post on social media to share about Wednesday’s disappointing defeat and call for action. Access the PUMP Act Partner Toolkit for helpful talking points, templates, and beyond.
• We need to keep demonstrating support from businesses and organizations across the nation. Add your organization to the joint letter and invite organizations and businesses in your network to join as well. Download the letter here.

Moms aren’t asking for the world. They’re asking for a curtain and accountability. We can win this for them. Let's dust ourselves off and get back to work.