Republican efforts to advance new policies to support families have proceeded unevenly and haltingly despite pressure to act in the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.
Republicans have proposed a range of federal and state measures to help mothers with unexpected pregnancies, such as added funding for agencies that support new and expecting families, reforming the foster care system, extending Medicaid coverage for postpartum mothers, and expanding paid family leave through voluntary buy-ins.
So far, though, the talk has only fitfully translated into broad Republican support or policy.
CONSERVATIVE HOUSE REPUBLICANS ROLL OUT POST-DOBBS ‘FAMILY POLICY AGENDA’
“There’s definitely been a lot more conversation about the importance of paid medical and family leave since Dobbs, however, we haven’t seen that translate into action,” said Sharita Gruberg, vice president of economic justice at the National Partnership for Women & Families.
<mediadc-video-embed data-state="{"cms.site.owner":{"_ref":"00000161-3486-d333-a9e9-76c6fbf30000","_type":"00000161-3461-dd66-ab67-fd6b93390000"},"cms.content.publishDate":1664484842933,"cms.content.publishUser":{"_ref":"0000017d-fe9d-da96-ad7d-ffbf8a5c0000","_type":"00000161-3461-dd66-ab67-fd6b933a0007"},"cms.content.updateDate":1664484842933,"cms.content.updateUser":{"_ref":"0000017d-fe9d-da96-ad7d-ffbf8a5c0000","_type":"00000161-3461-dd66-ab67-fd6b933a0007"},"rawHtml":"
var _bp = _bp||[]; _bp.push({ "div": "Brid_64379889", "obj": {"id":"27789","width":"16","height":"9","video":"1107262"} }); ","_id":"00000183-8b07-d948-a3b3-cf5f13640000","_type":"2f5a8339-a89a-3738-9cd2-3ddf0c8da574"}”>Video EmbedWhile Republicans have proposed family policies for years, the June Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that determined there is no constitutional right to an abortion has placed renewed pressure on Republicans to take action to address the needs of women facing unplanned pregnancies as some states adopt restrictive abortion laws.
Members of the Republican Party have been divided on how to handle providing support to families, with some staunchly opposed to expanding social programs and others who are more open to creating avenues for aid. They also face an uphill battle to pass legislation without a majority, requiring support across the aisle.
Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Mitt Romney (R-UT) reintroduced legislation in early September that would allow new parents to use a portion of their Social Security benefits for paid leave after the birth or adoption of a child. It drew endorsements from several influential organizations that oppose abortion but little support among their GOP colleagues.
“As we welcome more precious children into the world, the pro-life movement stands ready to ensure their mothers have the comprehensive support they need to provide for themselves and their families,” said Marilyn Musgrave, vice president of government affairs for SBA Pro-Life America, in a statement.
The Republican Study Committee, a group of conservative members of the House GOP caucus, this week put forward a “Family Policy Agenda” that it plans to prioritize if the GOP wins back the majority after the midterm elections. It calls for reforming the foster care system, supporting crisis pregnancy centers, revising the adoption tax credit, and expanding postpartum Medicaid coverage.
“I was hoping that there would be even more Republican senators with their own visions of what a post-Dobbs governing agenda should look like, but I think in time, that will come,” said Patrick Brown, a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. “Those conversations have been happening, but I think there is a new urgency around them, and so that’s nice to see.”
Adrienne Schweer, a fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center, said she has seen renewed interest at the state and national levels since Dobbs in discussing paid family and medical leave.
“I haven’t seen the legislation drop in lots of places, but I have definitely been fielding more interests from state lawmakers and from federal lawmakers in the last couple months,” said Schweer. “There’s definitely been an increased interest looking for new ideas and exploring the potential for bipartisan ideas, which there wasn’t a lot of space for over the last couple of years, especially at the federal level.”
Several states with restrictive abortion laws, including Louisiana, Kentucky, and South Carolina, have altered Medicaid, a public health insurance for people with low income, to extend postpartum coverage for new mothers from 60 days to 12 months.
Meanwhile, other states have taken different approaches. Indiana earmarked roughly $74 million for governmental and nonprofit programs aimed at increasing maternal and infant health, including $45 million toward agencies that support “healthy pregnancies, babies, families and foster and adoptive families” and $10 million for the Nurse Family Partnership, which has trained nurses visiting first-time mothers to assist beginning during pregnancy through the child’s, or children’s, second birthday. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) announced a website providing resources on pregnancy, new parents, financial assistance, and adoption after the Dobbs decision.
“In South Dakota, we value life. But being pro-life doesn’t just mean caring about the unborn. It also means getting moms the help they need to be successful,” Noem said in a statement at the time.
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Brown said he has been encouraged by the proposals put forward and the “tangible” progress several states have made to extend Medicaid coverage for postpartum mothers.
“You can see how the conversation has opened up from some of the really hard ideological lines that used to be drawn not so long ago,” Brown said. “That gives me some encouragement that these conversations will continue to evolve and we can really make progress on … being pro-life — not just solely in protecting unborn life in the womb, although that is essential, but protecting it and in strengthening families and making sure kids are growing up in safe and healthy and happy environments afterwards.”
