Democratic Women’s Caucus Blasts Trump’s Proposals to “Get Women to Have More Babies”

DWC Calls on Trump to Stop Dismantling the Programs and Services That Allow Women to Thrive and Grow Their Families; Pursue Policies that Actually Help Women

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Chair Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-03) led 38 Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) members in sending President Trump a letter blasting his proposals to “get women to have more babies” while dismantling services and programs that allow women and families to thrive. As legislators, moms, women, and caretakers, the Members urged President Trump to reconsider implementing proposals that are ineffective and fail to seriously address the challenges of motherhood and invest in initiatives that actually meet the needs of women and working families.

In the letter, Members also call out the administration’s work to dismantle the very systems that help women and families:

“You’ve cut maternal and child health programs and proposed gutting Medicaid, a program that covers more than 40% of all births in the United States—jeopardizing care for mothers and babies. You have fired key staff and cut programs dedicated to helping women and families, including maternal health and fertility research at the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). You are proposing to defund Head Start, a critical program for families who otherwise could not afford child care. You have frozen $65 million in Title X funding, threatening access to family planning, cancer screenings, and STI testing. You call yourself the ‘fertility President,’ your allies pushed the Life at Conception Act, a bill backed by over 130 House Republicans, that could ban IVF entirely. You’ve thrown our economy into chaos, making everyday essentials more expensive and making family budgeting nearly impossible. This is not a “pro-family” agenda.

The Members also urged the administration to create proposals that support women and families throughout their lives:

“It is estimated parents spend over $20,000 in the first year of a baby’s life. A $5,000 baby bonus could help families—but mothers deserve support to care for their families, not pressure to grow them. And restricting those benefits to only heterosexual couples would callously harm parents and babies. Many families would like to have more children but feel like they can’t afford it due to the high cost of child care, lack of paid leave, stagnant wages, and overall high cost of living; thus, a one-time payment of $5,000 or a medal will not address these issues.

Additionally, they propose a set of policies and reforms that evidence show actually improve the lives of women and families

“These include:

• Paid family and medical leave, so parents can care for their newborn and family members.
• Access to affordable, high-quality child care, so parents—especially mothers—have the choice to stay in the workforce while their child is well cared for.
• Comprehensive maternal health care, including prenatal, postpartum, and mental health services, with particular focus on addressing racial disparities and reducing maternal mortality.
• Robust investment in reproductive and fertility health research, to ensure that individuals and families have access to the best science and care when planning or growing their families.
• Expanded access to affordable health care, including Medicaid, reproductive care and contraception, without stigma or barriers.
• Stronger workplace protections for pregnant and caregiving workers, so no one risks their job for starting or supporting their family.
• Tax policies that actually ease the cost of raising children including a permanent expanded Child Tax Credit for working and middle-class parents.
• Support for all types of families, including single parents, LGBTQ+ families, blended families, and adoptive or foster parents—because every family deserves dignity and respect.”

The full letter can be accessed here.

39 DWC Members signed the letter including: Teresa Leger Fernández, Gwen S. Moore, Jasmine Crockett, Joyce Beatty, Nydia M. Velázquez, Valerie P. Foushee, Sarah Elfreth, Veronica Escobar, April McClain Delaney, Betty McCollum, Suzanne Bonamici, Becca Balint, Norma J. Torres, Yassamin Ansari, Emily Randall, Sylvia R. Garcia, LaMonica McIver, Nikema Williams, Julie Johnson, Nanette Diaz Barragán, Terri A. Sewell, Sara Jacobs, Haley M. Stevens, Jan Schakowsky, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Julia Brownley, Lois Frankel, Judy Chu, Jennifer L. McClellan, Chellie Pingree, Deborah K. Ross, Brittany Pettersen, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Maggie Goodlander, Maxine Dexter, Doris Matsui, Frederica S. Wilson, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and Bonnie Watson Coleman.