Editorial -- Tired of Abortion? Pass Paid Parental Leave

Now that the Supreme Court says that life begins at conception, it is time for the right to embrace policies that actually celebrate motherhood and childbirth. One good policy would be to pass paid parental leave laws so that babies can get the care and quality of life they deserve.

When Amy Klobuchar, now Minnesota Senator, was giving birth to her daughter, she was kicked out of her hospital just a day after giving birth. The insurance company wouldn’t let her stay any longer. She had to go home even though her baby had to stay because of complications. Her activism, and that of others, led to the passage of the Newborns and Mothers Health Protection Act of 1996, which states that insurance companies cannot restrict benefits for a hospital stay in connection with childbirth to less than 48 hours following a vaginal delivery or 96 hours following delivery by cesarean section. If you deliver your baby outside the hospital and are later admitted, the period begins at the time of hospital admission.

A Pew poll from July 29th finds that 46% of Americans say the federal government does too little to address issues affecting parents, while 54% say the government does too little to address issues facing children. Only 14% say that the government does too much to support parents and only 11% say the government does too much to support children. This includes 41% of Republicans who say the government does not do enough to support parents, while 44% of Republicans say the government does not do enough to support children.

This is not a partisan political issue. Rep. Elise Stefanik, the third ranking Republican in the House and a mom, supports advance child tax credits of up to $5,000 during the first year of a child’s life or in the first year after a child’s adoption. Adoption is touted as an alternative to abortion by the pro-life community. Maybe if we made it easier to adopt children and reward families that do, more women would give up unwanted babies for adoption instead of getting an abortion.

And on top of that, we need to respect women who choose to stay at home with their kids as well as women with kids who choose to work. Geraldine Ferraro on the left and Sarah Palin on the right both faced unfair criticism for running for Vice President while they still had kids at home. If we vote against someone, vote against them for policy reasons, not because of their family choices.