Last year, the number of babies born in the U.S. fell by about 1% — and over the past couple of decades, the fertility rate has gone down by 23%.
The Trump administration thinks that’s because birth control has become too accessible.
As usual, the GOP has a complete misread of the situation, so let’s talk about what’s actually happening here: -
Our paid leave situation is a disaster. According to a 2025 report, there are just four countries in the entire world that don’t have any form of mandated paid maternity leave: Papua New Guinea, South Africa, Tonga and the U.S.
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The cost of raising a single child has now topped $300,000, and the cost of child care alone has surged 46% since 2021. In San Diego, many families spend 40% of their income (or more!) on child care alone.
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Child care costs have begun to exceed housing costs (which are already wildly expensive!) across the country. On average, families with two kids spend more than $2,200 per month on child care — more than the price of rent in dozens of large cities across the country.
And amid all that, they wonder why fewer babies are being born??
Bottom line: Republicans talk a big game about being “pro-family,” but supporting young families means supporting paid leave, along with health care, child care, and housing people can actually afford.
Until we fix those problems, how can we expect young people to feel like they can afford to build a family?
I’m working on solutions to a lot of these issues in Congress. Last year I introduced landmark legislation to create an Early Childhood Education Trust Fund by cutting the federal estate tax exemption in half and dedicating 15% of revenue to address the child care crisis. I’m a cosponsor of the FAMILY Act to create permanent and comprehensive paid leave. I have bills to support fertility treatment access and protect the right to contraception (a critical part of family planning!).
But we can’t get any of these bills passed under the current GOP leadership. Not only have my Republican colleagues been hostile to much of our actually pro-family legislation, but they’ve also made clear they’re totally disinterested in governing — no matter the issue.
So in addition to drafting, introducing, and championing this legislation, we have to be laser-focused on flipping the House so we can actually get it done!
Will you join the fight to push for pro-family progress by securing a Democratic House majority this November? Please contribute any amount today:
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Thanks for reading and for being a part of this effort. I know we can win — together.
-Sara
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