The Trump administration wants women to have more babies

Yahoo

23-04-2025

Good morning! Female U.S. soldiers must now pass a "sex-neutral" physical test, L.A. mayor Karen Bass proposes government workforce layoffs, and the Trump administration may incentivize women to have more babies.
- Baby boom. The Trump administration has been soliciting ideas for ways to entice Americans to have more children, according to a report in the New York Times, in an effort to combat what it sees as a crisis of falling birth rates in the U.S. Some of the proposals reportedly being floated: a $5,000 cash "baby bonus," government-funded educational programs on menstrual cycles, and a "National Medal of Motherhood" awarded to mothers with six or more children.
The idea generation is the clearest example yet of the Trump administration's embrace of "a new cultural agenda pushed by many of its allies on the right to reverse declining birthrates and push conservative family values," the Times reports.
Indeed, Trump, who has described himself as the "fertilization president," is surrounded by folks like tech billionaire Elon Musk and Vice President JD Vance, who could be described as pro-natalist. Project 2025, the ultra-conservative blueprint for Trump's second term, calls for the promotion of heterosexual marriages and restricting reproductive rights and health care.
Critics have been quick to point out that structural changes that could actually help families long term—paid parental leave, affordable housing and childcare—are not among the ideas listed in the story. And when the average out-of-pocket costs for giving birth in the U.S. total $2,854 for those with insurance while part-time childcare costs $6,000 a year on the low end, any baby bonus won't go very far.
"Proposals like 'baby bonuses' or 'menstrual cycle classes' don't just miss the point, they leave millions of women unheard, yet again," says Erin Erenberg, CEO and cofounder of Chamber of Mothers, a nonpartisan 501c3 organization advocating for maternal and parental rights. "Most women we hear from aren't opting out of motherhood—rather, they simply can't afford it. That's not a cultural crisis. That's a policy failure."
Countries across Asia and Europe are also struggling with falling birth rates, and many have tried similar incentives. South Korea, which has the lowest birth rate in the world, has introduced a baby bonus, as has Singapore. At least in South Korea, the generous government benefits are so far not enough: The fertility rate in 2024 was 0.75, a small increase from the previous year.
Back in the U.S., critics point to other moves made by the Trump administration that seem to belie its stated desire for a "baby boom." It recently made large cuts to the Department of Health and Human Service's Division of Reproductive Health, which handles issues related to maternal and infant health. Republicans also opposed the extension of the expanded child tax credit, which helped significantly reduce child poverty under President Joe Biden. The Trump administration's aggressive immigration and deportation strategies are counter to the goal of growing the population. And in many red states, anti-abortion legislation is actively harming women and mothers who miscarry. Overall maternal mortality rates in the U.S. almost doubled between 2014 and 2021.
"Parenthood doesn't need to be incentivized—it needs to be supported every step of the way," says Erenberg. "If we want a thriving nation, we start by making sure its mothers are healthy, supported, and whole."
Needless to say, a motherhood medal won't accomplish that.
Alicia [e-mail]
The Most Powerful Women Daily newsletter is Fortune's daily briefing for and about the women leading the business world. Today's edition was curated by Nina Ajemian. Subscribe here.
This story was originally featured on Fortune.com