Congressional Relations

Women’s economic security and health are essential to their full participation as equal members of society.

It is time to eliminate the barriers women continue to face in their pursuit of whole, healthy and economically secure lives.

Women’s contributions — and ability to adequately care for themselves and America’s families — depend on stronger policies that promote family supports, economic equality, freedom from discrimination, and access to affordable, quality, comprehensive health care, including reproductive health care.

Our team of congressional relations specialists combines expertise in these policy areas with their extensive experience working in the executive branch, legislative branch, and issue advocacy community. Our deep expertise with the policy-making process, combined with our position in the women’s economic and health advocacy communities, can help bridge gaps and facilitate communication and coordination to achieve shared policy goals.

Senator Cory Booker National Partnership for Women and Families Congressional briefing

We can:

  • Offer policy expertise and messaging guidance for women and families;
  • Bring together diverse coalitions around an issue or legislative proposal;
  • Provide strategic direction on advancing legislative priorities;
  • Communicate and distill the latest research for easy consumption; and
  • Give technical assistance with bill drafting.

Learn more about our 2024 Legislative Agenda.

MEET THE TEAM

Jaclyn Dean

Jaclyn Dean

Position: Director, Congressional Relations, Reproductive Health
Categories: CR, Staff

Jaclyn hails from Dallas, Texas, and is the proud daughter of Taiwanese immigrants. She is the Director of Congressional Relations, Reproductive Health, at the National Partnership for Women & Families, where she manages the organization’s relationships on the Hill and its key legislative priorities on abortion and contraception. Jaclyn is passionate about working with Congress on reproductive rights through an intersectional and racial justice lens that centers the full lived experiences of people who can become pregnant.

Prior to joining the National Partnership, Jaclyn was the Policy and Government Affairs Director at the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, where she worked at the intersection of reproductive health and immigrant rights. She also served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco and worked for Annie’s List, which helps elect pro-choice, Democratic women to statewide office in Texas.

Jaclyn holds a BA in Political Science and Sociology from Rice University and a Master of Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School. Outside of work, she can be found working author events with Loyalty Bookstore in DC, reading, bouldering, doing yoga, crocheting, and caring for her houseplants and fluffy orange cat.

Jaclyn Dean

Director, Congressional Relations, Reproductive Health

Jaclyn hails from Dallas, Texas, and is the proud daughter...

Michellle McGrain

Michelle Feit (McGrain)

Position: Director, Congressional Relations, Economic Justice
Categories: CR, Staff

Michelle Feit is Director, Congressional Relations, Economic Justice, at the National Partnership for Women & Families, where she manages day-to-day federal policymaker relationships and develops and leverages partner relationships to advance the National Partnership’s legislative agenda. Michelle is primarily focused on educating Congress about the issues within the National Partnership’s workplace and economic security agenda: paid family and medical leave, paid sick days, equal pay, pregnancy discrimination, workplace harassment and fighting harmful proposals that erode workers’ and women’s economic rights.

Prior to joining the National Partnership, Michelle spent almost five years on Capitol Hill serving on the policy teams for Senator Barbara Mikulski and Congresswoman Jackie Speier. While on Senator Mikulski’s team, she led the effort to bring the Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument into the National Park System.

Outside of work, Michelle is an active member of Jews United for Justice, served as a volunteer leader for the DC Paid Family Leave Campaign, and has volunteered on various national and local campaigns. She also founded the Columbia Heights chapter of Swing Left, one of the most active chapters in the country, which helped elect Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger (VA-07). Michelle lives in Washington, D.C., and holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Public Policy from the University of Maryland.

Michelle Feit (McGrain)

Director, Congressional Relations, Economic Justice

Michelle Feit is Director, Congressional Relations, Economic Justice, at the...

Jessi Leigh Swenson

Jessi Leigh Swenson

Position: Director, Congressional Relations, Health Justice
Categories: CR, Staff

Jessi Leigh Swenson is Director, Congressional Relations, Health Justice, at the National Partnership for Women & Families, where she manages the National Partnership’s federal government relations and cross-movement strategic partnerships on reproductive health, rights and justice issues. She joined the National Partnership in 2015 as the senior policy counsel for reproductive health and rights. Jessi Leigh has nearly a decade of experience in building effective coalitions to move federal policies forward for women and families. Prior to her work at the National Partnership, she was the Federal Policy Director at the National Abortion Federation, Director of Policy and Advocacy at Rights4Girls, and was an If/When/How and Georgetown Women’s Law and Public Policy Fellow. Jessi Leigh hails from Maine and attended Hampshire College and UC Hastings College of the Law. She loves climbing, boxing, reading and spending time with her partner and their beautiful strong daughter.

Jessi Leigh Swenson

Director, Congressional Relations, Health Justice

Jessi Leigh Swenson is Director, Congressional Relations, Health Justice, at...

Jesse Matton

Jesse Matton

Position: Director, Corporate Social Impact Policies
Categories: CR, Staff

Jesse Matton is the director of corporate social impact policies on the congressional relations and social impact team. Jesse builds alliances with corporations and other private sector stakeholders to identify common policy priorities and develop partnerships that further joint policy goals and systems change. Jesse also leads the National Partnership’s Business Working Group for Gender Equity and works collaboratively with the Economic Justice and Health Justice teams to make an impact in the private sector.

Jesse comes to the National Partnership with over 10 years of nonprofit experience, which covered partnerships, operations, and programming related to social investments, corporate citizenship and ESG strategy. Jesse was the Director of Economic Opportunity and Empowerment at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Corporate Citizenship Center where she led strategic programming and partnership opportunities to further the business communities’ impact on women’s economic empowerment, diversity and inclusion in the workplace, LGBTQ+ inclusion and equality, supplier diversity, and inclusive entrepreneurship.

Jesse hails from Northern Virginia and attended University of Tennessee where she studied International Business, Russian, and Economics. She lives in Richmond, VA with her husband, son, and dog.

Jesse Matton

Director, Corporate Social Impact Policies

Jesse Matton is the director of corporate social impact policies...

2024 Legislative Agenda

We urge Congressional champions to cosponsor and advocate for the passage of the following priority bills. Learn more

Informational Materials for the 117th Congress

We provide these resources to demonstrate how policymakers can bend the moral arc toward justice, fairness, and inclusivity and to enable women to prosper. Learn more

Committee Testimony, Statements, and Position Letters

The National Partnership’s prepared testimony, statements for the record, and position letters that have been submitted to Congressional committees and members of Congress. Learn more