Democrats are closer than ever to passing paid leave, but it hinges on what makes the cut in the reconciliation deal

Consuelo Hernandez has been helping take care of her father since he fell off a roof while she was in high school. More than a decade later, her father remains in and out of the hospital — and she's still taking care of him.

Without any paid leave to take care of aging parents, she's already exhausting the time off she has and scared of what the future holds. "I know that the care he's going to need down the road is just going to get a lot bigger," Hernandez said.

The coronavirus pandemic also exacerbated long-term challenges, forcing Americans to make tough decisions about work, family and staying healthy. Many Democratic lawmakers are betting the pursuit of family-focused policies like paid leave will outweigh backlash over the cost of the reconciliation package. Their argument: America can't afford not to, and the pandemic forced this issue front-and-center.