It took a pandemic, unseen in our lifetimes, to break the political impasse around paid leave in Washington. For 30 years, advocates for a federal paid leave programme have lobbied, often in painful increments, to try and pass legislation on the matter.
On Wednesday, the Senate is set to pass, and President Donald Trump expected to sign into law, a coronavirus response bill, good for one year, allocating billions of dollars to expand access for testing and for paid sick leave.
"If you're sick, stay home," Vice President Mike Pence pronounced this past weekend. "You're not going to miss a paycheck."
But that is not exactly true.