Why Meghan Markle's First Attempt At Political Influence Didn't Pan Out

Meghan Markle is known for her strong, female voice and she's no stranger to using that voice to speak out about issues she's passionate about. Most recently, the Duchess of Sussex wrote an open letter that was a plea for Democratic leadership to pass a federal paid family and medical leave plan that would benefit those who struggle to choose between being with their children and sick family members or going to work, per CNN.

"Paid leave should be a national right, rather than a patchwork option limited to those whose employers have policies in place, or those who live in one of the few states where a leave program exists," Markle wrote in her letter earlier this month. "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," she added.

"No family should have to choose between earning a living and having the freedom to take care of their child (or a loved one, or themselves, as we would see with a comprehensive paid leave plan)," she also wrote (via Us Weekly). "In taking care of your child, you take care of your community, and you take care of your country — because when paid leave is a right."

Sadly, this week Markle received bad news about her pleas to the government.

According to The Mirror, Meghan Markle's first dip into the political world didn't go well. Despite her heartfelt open letter, President Joe Biden decided to cut the paid family and medical leave plan from his $1.75 trillion infrastructure plan. The news came on Thursday, when it was revealed Biden had opted to drop some proposals and announced a new framework for his "Build Back Better Bill" through Congress, after it had been stalled for months. It seems that the Duchess of Sussex's impassioned pleas carried no weight in Biden's decision, but her open letter did strike the nerve of some politicians.

"While her attempts at appealing to working class families by recalling her days of eating at Sizzler were laughable, her comments make crystal clear that the passage of this massive tax-and-spend bill is aimed more at helping global elites get huge tax breaks than helping the working families she claims to have dined with," Rep. Jason Smith previously told The Daily Mail. Royal author, Angela Levin, also told the outlet that the letter was simply the first step in Markle's political career. "Meghan's two page letter to lobby Congress about giving money on parental leave, is obviously another step towards trying to turn herself into a politician," she said.

It's unclear if Meghan Markle wants a future in politics, but it seems she is on the side of the working class citizens.