Trump proposes requiring six weeks of paid maternity leave, allowing parents to deduct child care expenses from their income taxes, and introducing savings accounts for child care and “child enrichment activities.”
To pay for leave, Trump would use the savings that would come from eliminating fraud in the unemployment insurance system, a dubious source. The campaign has not yet announced its plan for paying for the other two proposals
A number of forward-thinking conservatives including Mike Lee and Marco Rubio have been exploring ways to support families without adding to either the deficit or the size of the federal government, and without harming businesses.
This election’s Republican nominee did not follow their lead.
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Kay S. Hymowitz is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and contributing editor at City Journal. She is the author of the forthcoming book, The New Brooklyn: What It Takes to Bring a City Back.