WASHINGTON, D.C. (LifeSiteNews) – Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah and Rep. Riley Moore of West Virginia introduced legislation they say would alleviate the cost of choosing to be a stay-at-home mother, which they frame an essential part of a comprehensive pro-life message.
The Daily Wire reported that the lawmakers introduced the Fairness for Stay-at-Home-Parents Act, which would amend the federal Family & Medical Leave Act of 1993 to “prohibit an employer from recovering any health care premium paid by the employer for an employee if the employee fails to return to work due to the birth of a child.” Although the text has not yet been released, it appears to be a reintroduction of an identically named bill proposed in past sessions of Congress by future Vice President JD Vance.
“Being pro-life means being pro-family. That means ensuring families aren’t penalized for deciding to have a parent stay home with their new baby,” Moore said. “Our bill ensures families won’t face a huge bill for insurance premiums simply for choosing what’s best for their family.”
“Our legislation rectifies a problem with the Family and Medical Leave Act that unfairly impacts mothers who decide to stay home with their newborns after maternity leave,” Lee added. “Each additional financial burden we can remove from growing American families is a victory, and this bill will make it easier for hundreds of thousands of new parents to care for their kids.”
While many support such policies for their own sake, arguing that alleviating the costs that drive many women to consider abortion is necessary to help end the practice, others have argued that Republicans must do more to appear more supportive of mothers to allay the perceived political challenges of a consistent anti-abortion stance.
“I want us as a Republican Party to be pro-family in the fullest sense of the word,” meaning support for fertility treatments as well as unspecified policies to make childcare and housing more affordable, while allowing states to reach different conclusions on abortion policy, Vance said during October’s vice-presidential debate.
In the meantime, the pro-life movement has long worked extensively to support mothers considering abortion. Crisis pregnancy centers have long provided low-income women with a wide variety of services, including ultrasounds, basic medical care, adoption referrals, parenting classes, and children’s supplies that help mitigate the fears and burdens that lead some to choose abortion. In 2022, such centers provided women in need with $367,896,513 worth of goods and services, according to the Charlotte Lozier Institute.
