Want More Babies, Vice President Vance? Here’s What Needs to Change for Children and Families
Dear Vice President Vance,
Just a few days ago, at the March for Life rally, you made the following statement:
Let me say very simply, I want more babies in the United States of America. I want more happy children in our country. And I want beautiful young men and women, who are eager to welcome them into the world and eager to raise them.
And it is the task of our government to make it easier for young moms and dads to afford to have kids, to bring them into the world, and to welcome them as the blessings that we know they are….
Support for babies? It is certainly a sentiment many Americans could support — strong families and thriving children are at the heart of a prosperous society.
As writer Eda J. LeShan wrote:
A new baby is like the beginning of all things: wonder, hope, a dream of possibilities.
But as author Erica Jong adds:
A baby’s a full time job for three adults.
Wanting more babies is not enough. Policies — not speeches — are what truly shape the lives of children and families.
If we want more babies, we must ensure they are born into a nation that values them —not just in rhetoric but in action. Unfortunately, the Administration’s current policy direction contradicts the pro-family values you espoused on that stage.
For example, the proposed cuts to Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which provide life-saving care to millions of pregnant women and infants, the undermining of life-saving vaccines, the punitive changes to birthright citizenship that target babies for harm, the failure to strengthen financial support for families through a fully refundable Child Tax Credit, and the lack of support for child nutrition, paid leave, child care, and early childhood programs all make it harder – rather than easier – for parents to care for their children.
Additionally, in recent days, the Trump Administration eliminated the federal Office of Gun Violence Prevention, despite the fact that firearms are now the leading cause of death for children in America. A pro-life commitment must extend beyond birth to ensure that babies and children can grow up safely in their homes, schools, and communities. You can’t claim to want more children while ignoring the epidemic of gun violence that is taking their lives.
The choices we make today will determine whether America is truly a place where families can flourish. If you truly want more babies, it is time the nation supports the policies that give every child the best start in life.
Child Poverty: A National Crisis That Demands Action
First, Vice President Vance, if you truly want more babies, then we must confront an uncomfortable truth: America is failing its children. Child poverty is a national crisis that threatens the well-being of millions of families and undermines the very values of opportunity and self-sufficiency that you espouse.
The numbers are staggering. In 2021, the expanded Child Tax Credit helped drive child poverty to a historic low of 5.2%. However, following the expiration of the expansion, child poverty more than doubled to 13.7% in 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
This dramatic reversal means that millions of children have been plunged back into economic hardship — facing food insecurity, inadequate health care, and housing instability. This is not pro-family. This is a policy failure that demands urgent action.
The Consequences of Child Poverty
Child poverty is not just about financial hardship; it has long-term, far-reaching effects on health, education, economic opportunity, and child safety. The National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) estimates that child poverty is costing our society between $800 billion and $1.1 trillion annually.
Children living in poverty are:
More likely to experience poor health outcomes, including higher rates of infant mortality, developmental delays, and chronic conditions like asthma and obesity.
Less likely to succeed in school, facing increased barriers to academic achievement and future employment.
At greater risk for involvement in the criminal justice system, perpetuating cycles of poverty and instability across generations.
More likely to suffer from mental health issues, as economic insecurity places significant stress on both children and their families.
More likely to face abuse and exploitation.
A society that claims to value life cannot turn its back on millions of children who are struggling to survive and thrive. The well-being of our nation’s children should be a top priority in federal policy and budget decisions.
Policy Solutions to Tackle Child Poverty
To address the root causes of child poverty, the Administration must pursue comprehensive, evidence-based policies, including:
Restoring and expanding the Child Tax Credit, ensuring it is fully refundable so low-income families benefit.
Protecting Medicaid and CHIP, which provide critical health care for millions of low-income children.
Investing in nutrition programs like WIC and SNAP, ensuring no child goes hungry.
Expanding access to affordable early childhood programs and child care, allowing parents to work while ensuring their children receive quality early education and care.
Increasing support for affordable housing programs, so children can grow up in stable, safe environments.
Child poverty is not an inevitability — it is a policy choice. If you truly want more babies, then it is time to support policies that lift children and their families out of poverty and provide them with the opportunities they need to succeed.
We urge you to take bold action to address child poverty head-on and work with Congress to advance policies that prioritize America’s children — not just in words, but in deeds.
The Child Tax Credit: Rewarding Families, Not Penalizing Them
Second, Vice President Vance, you have spoken passionately about the importance of strong families and the need to support parents in raising children. If that commitment is sincere, then strengthening the Child Tax Credit should be a top priority. Right now, the Child Tax Credit is failing the very families who need it most — especially low-income parents welcoming newborns into their homes.
I have previously urged you to take a leadership role on this issue. And, you once said you were for increasing the Child Tax Credit to $5,000 per child.
For mothers and babies, however, it is important to emphasize that the current structure of the Child Tax Credit often penalizes families for having babies. On average, women lose about 38% of their income during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum.
Unfortunately, due to the Child Tax Credit not being fully refundable, babies and their families often have their credit(s) cut due to the loss of income. Families with children are often left with fewer resources precisely when they need them the most.
The birth of a child brings joy, but it also often brings financial strain — whether in the form of reduced work hours, medical complications and bills, diapers, or child care costs. Yet under current policy, the most economically vulnerable children are shortchanged simply because their household incomes are too low to qualify for the full credit. That’s not just bad policy; it is a direct contradiction to the pro-family values you advocate.
A Fully Refundable Child Tax Credit Aligns with Conservative Values
Making the Child Tax Credit fully refundable is not just the right thing to do — it aligns with core conservative principles:
Promoting family stability and self-sufficiency: By providing parents with the financial resources they need during a child’s earliest years, we empower them to remain in the workforce, avoid debt, and plan for their family’s future.
Reducing reliance on government assistance: Studies show that a robust Child Tax Credit reduces child poverty, which in turn lowers the demand for other government aid programs in the long term.
Encouraging economic growth: More financial security for families means more consumer spending and a stronger, more resilient economy.
As the bipartisan National Commission on Children explained in 1991:
The United States is the only Western industrialized nation that does not have a child allowance policy or some other universal, public benefit for families raising children…. Other nations that have adopted child allowance policies regard such subsidies as an investment in their children’s health and development and in their nation’s future strength and productivity.
The National Commission on Children recommended that the Child Tax Credit be fully refundable for all families with children. It proposed:
Because it would assist all families with children, the refundable child tax credit would not be a relief payment, nor would it categorize children according to their “welfare” or “nonwelfare” status. In addition, because it would not be lost when parents enter the work force, as welfare benefits are, the refundable child tax credit could provide a bridge for families striving to enter the economic mainstream. It would substantially benefit hard-press single and married parents raising children. It could also help middle-income, employed parents struggling to afford high-quality child care. Moreover, because it is neutral toward family structure and mothers’ employment, it would not discourage the formation of two-parent families or of single-earner families in which one parent chooses to stay at home and care for the children.
These recommendations are from two generations of children ago.
Our nation’s failure to fix the Child Tax Credit means punishing families for having children — a reality that runs counter to your goal of encouraging more births in America. Families shouldn't have to choose between financial stability and having a child.
Bipartisan Support for an Expanded Child Tax Credit
It is worth noting that support for an expanded Child Tax Credit transcends party lines. In a May 2022 poll by Lake Research Partners, voters supported an improved Child Tax Credit that would be “fully refundable” by a 72-21% margin — with parents supporting the policy by a 77-18% margin.
Recently, Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) advocated for a more than doubling of the current Child Tax Credit from $2,000 to $5,000 per child, emphasizing the need to deliver on promises to working-class families.
This proposal, if it were to include ensuring that babies are no longer penalized for a drop in income due to their birth, would align with the pro-family agenda and underscore the importance of providing support to children and parents when they need it the most.
If you want more babies, Mr. Vice President, then it is time to act in their best interests by ensuring their parents have the financial support they need from the very beginning. Supporting a fully refundable Child Tax Credit would be a tangible step toward a truly pro-family policy agenda.
I urge you to work with Congress to expand the Child Tax Credit, ensuring that no family is left behind simply because their income is too low. America's children deserve better, and so do the parents who bring them into the world.
Medicaid and CHIP Cuts: Undermining the Health of Mothers and Babies
Third, if we truly want to ensure babies thrive, we must ensure they are born healthy and that their mothers receive the care they need.
Yet the Medicaid cuts that House Republican leadership has proposed in recent days, including the dangerous per capita caps in the recent House Republican budget and the Project 2025 blueprint, pose an existential threat to maternal and infant health in this country. These cuts would strip essential healthcare from millions of low-income pregnant women and babies, leading to higher rates of maternal and infant mortality.
Medicaid, in tandem with the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), is a lifeline for America’s most vulnerable families. Together, these programs cover more than 40% of all births in the United States and provide essential health care to over 40 million children.
Medicaid ensures that mothers have access to prenatal care, safe deliveries, and postpartum support and that children have access to the child-focused services and benefits they need. Meanwhile, CHIP provides critical health coverage for low-income children whose families earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but too little to afford private insurance.
Cutting funding for these programs would force states to ration care, cut essential services, and deny coverage to those who need it most. This is not pro-family; it is a policy that actively harms the very women and babies we should be fighting to protect.
Per Capita Caps: A Dangerous Gamble for Babies and Moms
The proposed per capita caps on Medicaid and CHIP funding would set a fixed amount of money per beneficiary, regardless of actual healthcare needs. This approach is particularly dangerous for two groups: pregnant women and infants.
Pregnant women are the highest-cost population within Medicaid's adult category, due to the complex and critical nature of maternity care. Under a capped funding model, states would face financial pressure to limit services, potentially cutting coverage for prenatal visits, postpartum care, and life-saving interventions for high-risk pregnancies.
Infants are the highest-cost population within Medicaid's child category, as they require frequent medical care, vaccinations, and screenings in their critical early years of development. Arbitrarily capping funding would give states a perverse incentive to ration services or delay essential interventions, leading to preventable health crises and long-term developmental harm.
CHIP funding is critical for millions of children who rely on it for well-child visits, immunizations, and routine medical care. Capping and cutting CHIP would force states to cut enrollment or reduce the scope of benefits, leaving working-class families without affordable healthcare options for their children.
In short, per capita caps would force states to make impossible choices — choosing which mothers and babies receive care and which do not. This approach places dollars above lives and directly contradicts the values of protecting and nurturing new life.
The Consequences of Cutting Medicaid and CHIP for Pregnant Women and Babies
Without access to Medicaid and CHIP:
More women will forgo prenatal care, increasing the risk of premature births and preventable complications.
Infant and maternal mortality rates — already alarmingly high in the U.S. compared to other wealthy nations — will rise even further. Public policy should never threaten the lives and safety of children and their mothers.
CHIP-enrolled children will lose access to preventive care, increasing emergency room visits and leading to worse long-term health outcomes.
Rural hospitals, many of which depend on Medicaid and CHIP funding to stay afloat, will be forced to close their maternity and pediatric wards, creating dangerous health care deserts where families have nowhere to turn for care. A recent report from the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families highlights that in some rural states, at least half of children living in small towns and rural areas are covered by Medicaid/CHIP, underscoring the critical role these programs play in rural healthcare infrastructure.
Families will face crushing medical debt, exacerbating economic insecurity during one of the most vulnerable times in their lives.
A Pro-Family Solution: Protect and Expand Medicaid and CHIP
True pro-family leadership means strengthening the systems that support life — not dismantling them. Ensuring robust Medicaid and CHIP funding would align with conservative principles by promoting healthier families, reducing long-term healthcare costs, and supporting parents in their efforts to provide for their children. Investing in maternal and infant health is not a partisan issue — it is a moral imperative.
If you truly want to support babies, Mr. Vice President, then we urge you to reject the proposed Medicaid and CHIP cuts and instead champion policies that expand access to maternity and pediatric care. Protecting these programs means protecting life — before birth, at birth, and beyond.
I urge you to fulfill the promises made by President Trump during his 2015 campaign — not to cut Medicaid.
Furthermore, the Administration should reject any budget proposals that jeopardize health care for pregnant women and infants, including funding for the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant and Healthy Start.
Vice President Vance, you also have explored making childbirth free. That and other provisions of importance to maternal and child health should be a priority, if you value babies and mothers.
Vaccination Policies: Safeguarding Children's Health
Fourth (and closely related to the important role of Medicaid and CHIP in child health), it is imperative to uphold and promote robust vaccination programs. Vaccinations have been instrumental in reducing, and in some cases eradicating, life-threatening diseases that once claimed countless young lives. However, recent policy shifts within the Administration raise concerns about the future of immunization efforts and, consequently, the health of our children.
The Critical Role of Vaccinations
Vaccines are among the most effective public health interventions, preventing diseases such as measles, polio, mumps, diphtheria, rubella, and whooping cough. High vaccination rates not only protect individual children but also establish herd immunity, safeguarding entire communities, including those who cannot be vaccinated due to medical conditions.
Unfortunately, the Administration's recent withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) is a significant move that could have far-reaching implications for public health. The WHO plays a pivotal role in coordinating global vaccination efforts, responding to disease outbreaks, and setting international health standards. By stepping away from this global partnership, the U.S. risks isolating itself from critical information and resources necessary to combat infectious diseases effectively.
Furthermore, the appointment of vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as the head of the Department of Health and Human Services introduces additional concerns. RFK Jr. has been a prominent figure in the anti-vaccine movement, promoting views that have been widely debunked by the scientific community. Elevating such a figure to a key health position could undermine public confidence in vaccination programs and lead to decreased immunization rates, endangering children's health.
The Consequences of Vaccine Hesitancy
Children are at a crossroads. Recent data indicates a troubling decline in routine vaccination rates among kindergarten children in the U.S., accompanied by an increase in non-medical exemptions from school vaccination requirements. This trend, exacerbated by vaccine misinformation, threatens to reverse decades of progress in controlling vaccine-preventable diseases. Lower vaccination rates can lead to outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases that were once under control, posing significant risks to young children who are most vulnerable to severe complications.
To truly support families and ensure that every child has the opportunity to grow up healthy, it is essential to:
Reengage with the World Health Organization: Collaborating with international partners enhances our ability to respond to global health threats and supports widespread immunization efforts.
Appoint Public Health Leaders Who Support Vaccination: Leadership should be entrusted to individuals who base their decisions on sound scientific evidence and who advocate for proven public health interventions.
Combat Vaccine Misinformation: Implement comprehensive public education campaigns to inform parents about the safety and importance of vaccines, thereby increasing vaccination rates and protecting community health.
Vice President Vance, promoting and supporting vaccination is a fundamental aspect of a pro-family agenda. Ensuring that all children have access to life-saving immunizations is not only a matter of individual health but also a collective responsibility to safeguard the well-being of our nation's future generations.
Early Childhood Education: Setting the Foundation for Success
Fifth, Vice President Vance, if you truly want babies to be successful, then we must invest in their future from the very beginning. High-quality early childhood education (ECE) is one of the most effective ways to set children on a path to success. Unfortunately, millions of American families lack access to affordable, high-quality early learning opportunities. Without these critical investments, too many children start school already behind, making it harder for them to reach their full potential and contribute to society.
Decades of research show that early childhood education programs — such as Head Start, pre-K, and quality child care programs — improve cognitive development, social-emotional skills, and long-term academic performance. They help close achievement gaps, reduce future dependence on government assistance, and support working parents who need reliable child care to remain in the workforce. Yet despite these proven benefits, ECE remains out of reach for too many families due to high costs and limited availability.
The High Stakes of Early Learning
The first five years of life are critical for brain development, with 90% of brain growth occurring before kindergarten. Children who participate in high-quality early education programs are more likely to:
Enter kindergarten ready to learn, with strong language and math skills.
Graduate from high school and pursue higher education.
Avoid costly interventions such as remedial education and juvenile justice involvement.
Conversely, children who lack access to early learning opportunities are at a higher risk of falling behind in school, which can have lifelong consequences for their earnings potential and well-being.
Without bold action, we risk leaving a generation of children behind — children who, with the right support, could grow into the innovators, leaders, and workers our country needs.
Investing in early childhood education is not just an investment in individual children — it is an investment in America’s future prosperity and strength.
Affordable Child Care: A Necessity for Working Families
Sixth, Vice President Vance, if you want to support families, then America must be a place where parents can afford to care for them while they are working. Yet, for millions of families, the rising cost of child care is an insurmountable burden — forcing parents, especially mothers, to leave the workforce or struggle to make ends meet. Without access to affordable, quality child care, many families face impossible choices that undermine their financial stability and their children’s development.
The numbers speak for themselves: child care expenses are now one of the biggest barriers to workforce participation for parents, contributing to economic strain and labor shortages.
Affordable Child Care Supports Families and the Economy
Investing in child care is not just a social good, it is an economic necessity. A strong child care system:
Boosts workforce participation: Access to reliable and affordable child care enables parents — particularly mothers — to stay in the workforce, increasing household income and economic productivity.
Promotes child development: High-quality child care provides young children with critical early learning opportunities that lay the foundation for future academic and social success.
Reduces dependence on government aid: When parents can work and provide for their families, they are less likely to need public assistance, aligning with conservative principles of self-sufficiency and economic independence.
Vice President Vance, if you truly want to support families and encourage parents to have more children, expanding access to affordable child care must be a priority. I urge you to champion policies that make quality child care accessible and affordable for all families, ensuring that parents are supported in both their professional and parenting roles. Families should not have to choose between having children and financial stability — America can and must do better.
Paid Family and Medical Leave: Giving Parents and Babies the Time They Need
Seventh, Vice President Vance, if you truly want to support babies, then parents must be given the time and support they need to care for their newborns without the fear of financial ruin. Unfortunately, the United States remains the only wealthy nation in the world without a national paid family and medical leave policy. This glaring omission forces millions of new parents, particularly those in low-wage jobs, to choose between their livelihoods and the well-being of their children. That is not pro-family.
The reality is stark: 1-in-4 mothers in the U.S. return to work within two weeks of giving birth because they cannot afford to stay home. The critical bonding period between parents and newborns — a time essential for physical and emotional development — is cut short, leading to long-term consequences for both children and families. When parents are forced to rush back to work without adequate support, their babies suffer.
Paid Leave Is a Pro-Family Policy
Providing paid family leave aligns perfectly with conservative values of supporting working families and fostering self-sufficiency. A robust paid leave policy would:
Strengthen family stability and child development: Paid leave gives parents the necessary time to bond with their newborns, establishing strong emotional foundations that lead to better cognitive and social outcomes.
Improve maternal and infant health: Studies show that access to paid leave reduces maternal postpartum depression, increases the likelihood of attending well-baby checkups, and leads to healthier birth outcomes.
Promote workforce participation and economic security: When parents have access to paid leave, they are more likely to stay in the workforce long-term, reducing dependency on government assistance programs.
Vice President Vance, it is time to lead on this issue. Supporting a national paid leave policy would demonstrate your commitment to a true pro-family agenda — one that helps parents welcome new life into the world without sacrificing their financial security.
America's parents deserve better, and so do their babies.
Nutrition Assistance Programs: Ensuring Healthy Starts for Babies
Eighth, Vice President Vance, if you truly want to help babies, then ensuring they have the nutrition they need to grow and thrive must be a national priority. Proper nutrition during pregnancy and in the early years of life is critical to a child’s physical and cognitive development. Yet, millions of low-income families in America struggle to afford healthy food, putting babies and young children at risk of poor health outcomes and lifelong disadvantages.
Programs like the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) have long served as essential lifelines for pregnant women, infants, and young children. These programs provide critical access to nutritious foods, breastfeeding support, and health screenings, helping to ensure that babies get the healthy start they need. However, proposed funding cuts and administrative barriers threaten to leave millions of vulnerable children without these vital resources.
Why Nutrition Support Is Critical for Babies and Families
Investing in nutrition assistance is one of the most cost-effective ways to improve public health and economic outcomes. Adequate nutrition in the early years of life:
Promotes healthy brain development: The first 1,000 days of life — from pregnancy to a child’s second birthday — are crucial for brain growth. Without proper nutrition, children are at higher risk of cognitive delays and learning difficulties.
Reduces health care costs: Babies and toddlers with proper nutrition are less likely to experience preventable health issues such as low birth weight, anemia, and developmental delays, saving taxpayers money in long-term health care costs.
Supports maternal health: Good nutrition during pregnancy reduces the risk of complications such as gestational diabetes and preterm birth, ensuring healthier moms and babies.
The Threat of Cuts to Nutrition Assistance Programs
Despite the proven success of WIC and SNAP in improving child health outcomes, these programs are constantly under threat. Proposed budget cuts would reduce benefits and make it harder for eligible families to access the food they need. Additionally, unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles – such as burdensome work requirements and eligibility restrictions — could result in fewer families receiving assistance, even if they qualify.
When we cut nutrition programs, we aren’t just trimming budgets; we are depriving babies of their best chance at a healthy life. That’s not just bad policy — it is a direct attack on the well-being of our nation’s future generations.
Investing in child nutrition is not just a compassionate choice — it is a fiscally sound and morally necessary one.
Every child deserves a healthy start in life, and strong nutrition programs make that possible. Let’s build a future where no baby goes hungry.
Birthright Citizenship Executive Order: A Direct Attack on Babies and Families
Ninth, Mr. Vice President your call for “more babies” was clearly intended to inspire a vision of a nation that values and welcomes new life. Yet, President Trump's Day 1 executive order to eliminate birthright citizenship stands in direct contradiction to that vision. This policy not only undermines the Constitution’s Fourteenth Amendment — it targets innocent newborns for harm, stripping them of their fundamental rights and placing their futures in jeopardy.
Ending birthright citizenship is not just bad policy; it is a betrayal of core American values and a direct attack on babies born in this country. The Fourteenth Amendment guarantees that every child born on U.S. soil is a citizen, regardless of their parents' status. This constitutional promise has long provided security and opportunity to millions of American families, allowing children to grow up as full participants in our society. Yet the Administration’s proposal would create a new class of stateless, vulnerable infants — babies who did nothing to deserve such uncertainty and fear.
A Personal Stake: This Policy Would Have Harmed Your Own Family
As you know better than most, immigration and identity are deeply personal issues. Your own wife, a child of immigrant parents, benefited from the same birthright citizenship protections that have strengthened countless American families. If the policy you now support had been in place when she was born, her life — and yours — might have been very different. This policy risks denying countless other children the same opportunities and sense of belonging that your family has enjoyed.
By targeting babies born in the United States, the Administration is sending a troubling message: that some babies are less deserving of the American dream and may forever be subjected to statelessness simply because of their parentage. That is not pro-family.
The Harmful Consequences for Children and Families
Eliminating birthright citizenship would:
Create a permanent underclass of stateless children, leaving them without legal status, access to health care, educational opportunities, or jobs and subjecting them to increased rates of exploitation and harm — directly contradicting pro-life values that claim to protect and nurture all children.
Sow fear and instability among immigrant communities, making it harder for parents to seek essential medical care, enroll children in school, or provide for their families without fear of deportation.
Overburden social services, as families without legal protections would be forced into greater economic insecurity, potentially straining local health care systems and safety nets.
For a nation that prides itself on supporting life and family, this policy does the exact opposite: it makes life harder and more precarious for innocent children.
If you want more babies, then every baby born here should be welcomed and protected — not pushed into the shadows.
Vice President Vance, I urge you to push the Administration to withdraw this harmful executive order and instead champion policies that truly reflect the pro-family values you advocate. Withdrawing support for ending birthright citizenship would send a clear message: that every child born in America is valued, loved, and protected.
Investing in Babies: A Federal Budget Priority
Tenth, closely related to everything mentioned above, if we are to realize your vision of welcoming more babies into our nation, it is imperative that our federal budget reflects a commitment to their well-being. Currently, federal investments in prenatal-to-three programs are disproportionately low compared to other age groups, leaving our youngest citizens without the support they need during the most critical stages of development.
In fact, the share of federal spending that goes to babies and toddlers has declined to a mere 1.52%, despite overwhelming evidence that money matters and investments across all aspects of their lives have significant consequences.
This underinvestment neglects the crucial early years when foundational cognitive, emotional, and social development occurs.
The Economic and Social Benefits of Early Investment
Investing in programs that support infants and toddlers yields significant returns, including:
Improved Health Outcomes: Access to prenatal care, nutrition assistance, and early health screenings leads to healthier children and reduces future health care costs.
Enhanced Educational Achievement: Early learning initiatives prepare children for academic success, decreasing the need for remedial education and increasing graduation rates.
Economic Productivity: Children who receive early support are more likely to become productive adults, contributing positively to the economy and reducing reliance on social services.
To align our federal budget with pro-family values, we must:
Increase Funding for Early Childhood Programs: Expand support for initiatives such as home visiting services, early Head Start, and child care subsidies to ensure all families have access to quality early care and education.
Ensure Equitable Resource Allocation: Direct resources to underserved communities to address disparities and provide all children with a fair start.
Implement Accountability Measures: Establish clear goals and metrics to assess the effectiveness of investments in early childhood programs, ensuring that funds are used efficiently to achieve desired outcomes.
Vice President Vance, by prioritizing babies in the federal budget, we demonstrate a genuine commitment to fostering strong families and a prosperous future. Investing in our youngest citizens is not only a moral imperative but also a strategic decision that will yield dividends for generations to come. We must stop shortchanging our children and their future.
Gun Safety: Protecting the Lives of America’s Children
Last but not least, Vice President Vance, if you truly want more children to live, then we must take meaningful action to protect their lives — not just before birth, but throughout childhood. The tragic reality is that firearms are the leading cause of death for children in America.
Yet, instead of addressing this crisis, the Trump Administration recently eliminated the federal Office of Gun Violence Prevention, which was established to coordinate efforts to reduce gun-related deaths and keep children safe.
A commitment to life must extend beyond birth and ensure that every child grows up in a safe environment, free from the threat of gun violence in their schools, homes, and communities. Failing to take action not only endangers lives but also contradicts the very family-first values you claim to uphold.
Every day in America, children fall victim to gun violence in their classrooms, on playgrounds, and even in their own homes. Families are left devastated, and communities are torn apart by tragedies that are largely preventable with common-sense policies. Having grown up in Texas, I understand the affinity of many Americans to own guns, but nobody – including gun owners – should disagree with the notion of gun safety and that we should take steps to protect children from the number one threat to their lives.
My hometown of El Paso, like far too many communities all across this country, was ripped apart by gun violence that killed 23 people at a Walmart. Beyond the tragic loss of life, children exposed to gun violence suffer from long-term emotional and psychological trauma, affecting their ability to learn, trust, and thrive. While thoughts and prayers were offered, the children and their families who suffer from gun violence every year need and deserve action.
Conclusion: Aligning Policy with Pro-Family Rhetoric
Vice President Vance, if you truly wish to create an environment for young adults to have “more babies,” words alone will not create the conditions necessary for children and families to thrive. To do so, our society must prioritize children in our policymaking and investments, which includes supporting policies that provide them with the care, security, and opportunities they need to grow into healthy, successful adults.
Right now, the Administration and Congress are advancing policies that contradict the pro-family values you expressed in your speech. Cutting Medicaid, CHIP, and immunization funding threatens the health of pregnant women and infants. Failing to strengthen the Child Tax Credit punishes families for having children instead of supporting them. Ending birthright citizenship harms innocent newborns and their futures. Eliminating efforts to address gun violence puts children in danger. Neglecting investments in early childhood education, child care, paid leave, and nutrition assistance ignores the real needs of American families. And without a dedicated focus on reducing child poverty, millions of children will continue to suffer unnecessary hardship.
A genuine pro-life, pro-family agenda should include:
A fully refundable Child Tax Credit to ensure every family has the financial support they need when welcoming a new baby.
Protection of Medicaid, CHIP, and immunizations, which provide essential health care for mothers and children.
Investments in paid family leave, child care, and early education to support parents in their caregiving roles.
Common-sense gun safety measures to protect children from preventable tragedies.
A bold strategy to address child poverty, recognizing that lifting children out of economic hardship is critical to their well-being and our nation’s future.
Sustained funding for children’s programs, which are some of the best and most consequential investments we can make for our nation’s children, families, and our collective future.
America’s children deserve more than rhetoric — they deserve action, investment, and a commitment to their future.
If you would like to help ensure that children and their needs, concerns, and best interests are protected and no longer ignored by policymakers, please consider joining us as an “Ambassador for Children” or becoming a paid subscriber to help us continue our work on behalf of children.