Washington, D.C. – On Thursday afternoon, Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida) and Rep. Ann Wagner (R-Missouri) announced in a joint press conference the introduction of the Economic Security for New Parents Act, legislation which would create a new option for paid family leave. The proposal would allow parents after the birth of a child to pull forward funds from their Social Security to use for at least two months of paid parental leave, delaying the eventual date at which they begin receiving Social Security by a corresponding amount of time.

Terry Schilling, Executive Director at American Principles Project (APP), offered praise for the conservative plan and called on all Republicans to support it:

“We applaud Senator Rubio and Congresswoman Wagner for introducing this legislation. This bill is an excellent response to a growing call from voters for paid family leave. The Economic Security for New Parents Act is a conservative policy solution that provides help for working parents with newborn children without raising taxes or creating a new entitlement. Most importantly, however, it will be tremendously beneficial to these working parents, giving them the flexibility to put the needs of their newborn children first without fear of serious financial hardship.

“Sen. Rubio, Rep. Wagner, and Ivanka Trump, in particular, deserve a great deal of credit for moving the family leave issue forward. Government has a compelling interest in protecting and encouraging healthy intact families, and proposals such as this one are an important part of a larger, pro-family economic agenda. Republicans concerned with advancing conservative policies which defend and strengthen the American family should have no qualms about supporting this bill.”

Sen. Rubio and Rep. Wagner wrote about their paid family leave plan in USA Today on Wednesday.

To speak with an APP policy expert on this issue, contact Paul Dupont at (o) 202-503-2010 or pdupont@americanprinciplesproject.org.