JD Vance has some ideas on how to get Americans to have more babies

Sen. JD Vance and his son Vivek

New vice presidential contender JD Vance has some strong opinions on how America can better support families.

Vance, the author of “Hillbilly Elegy” and a former VC, has been outspoken about his views on family and birth rates. Vance is very worried about falling birth rates — he’s warned of a “civilizational crisis” facing the US, and has hit out against the “childless left.”

“We should worry that in America, family formation, our birth rates, a ton of indicators of family health have collapsed,” Vance said in 2021 remarks.

“The fact that we’re not having enough babies, the fact that we’re not having enough children, is a crisis in this country. It’s a crisis because it makes our media more miserable. It’s a crisis because it doesn’t give our leaders enough of an investment in the future of their country. And it’s a crisis because we know that babies are good,” he added.

Legislatively, Vance has tweeted in support of making the healthcare associated with giving birth free, suggesting that the money the US has sent to Ukraine could “end the surprise billings that devastate families with newborns, and possibly save the lives of a lot of new moms.” He’s also introduced legislation that would shield parents who opt to quit their jobs and stay at home post-birth from penalties inflicted by their employer-sponsored insurance.

“We should celebrate and promote young families, not punish them. This legislation would relieve a serious financial burden for working families all over America and steer Washington in a more pro-family direction,” Vance said in a press release.

He’s not, however, a fan of universal childcare. He’s said that it’s “​​a massive subsidy to the lifestyle preferences of the affluent over the preferences of the middle and working class,” implying that childcare benefits working parents more than stay-at-home parents. Instead, he’s thrown his weight behind proposals to give tax credits to parents.

Vance has also said that he would’ve voted no on the Respect for Marriage Act, which repealed the Defense of Marriage Act and is meant to protect interracial and same-sex marriage. He’s additionally introduced legislation that would classify giving gender-affirming care to minors as a Class C felony.

When it comes to Trump’s specific platform on family policies, voters don’t know much. His campaign recently released 20 principles the former president plans to champion — which the Republican National Committee adopted — and while it includes measures to protect retirees’ Social Security benefits and “end inflation” by ending illegal immigration, it did not address how the administration would tackle family and child policies.

However, Vance’s actions as a senator could suggest some support for Democratic policies, like the child tax credit expansion. The Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024 — a framework supported by Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden and Republican Rep. Jason Smith — called for an enhanced child tax credit after it lapsed in 2021. Vance expressed support for the credit, according to Punchbowl News, saying at the time that “we’re the party of families.”

“I think it’s important to actually [have] a pro-family policy,” he said. “If you’re raising children in this country, we should make it easier, not harder. And unfortunately it’s way too expensive and way too difficult.”

Biden, meanwhile, has called for family-friendly policies in his budget request unveiled in March, including restoring the child tax credit, lowering childcare costs, and enacting a national program for paid family and medical leave.

“It’s past time America caught up with the rest of the world on paid leave,” Biden said during a speech in April. “All this helps families and it grows the economy. And we can afford to do it. We can’t afford not to do it.”