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Washington, D.C. – Earlier this month, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced the Economic Security for New Parents Act, legislation that creates an option for new parents to pull forward a portion of their Social Security to use for paid parental leave after the birth or adoption of a child. Many parents, especially those with low incomes, will be able to finance three months of leave or longer with the amount of the benefit, which is transferable between households. A one pager of the bill is available here.

“Anyone who wants to make parental leave affordable should welcome this idea.” (A Paid Family Leave Plan That Congress Might Actually Pass, New York Times, Kristin Shapiro, 8/16/2018)

• “Because the Social Security proposal doesn’t require a new tax, it is much more likely to gain enough support in Congress to actually be passed into law.” (A Paid Family Leave Plan That Congress Might Actually Pass, New York Times, Kristin Shapiro, 8/16/2018)

“A program that promotes stable families, gives workers control over their own Social Security taxes, and ensures a stable level of income sure seems conservative and sensible to me. Plus, it’s the right thing to do for families across the nation. Every American deserves the opportunity to bond with their child, no matter their income level.” (Rubio’s pro-family, conservative family leave policy promotes stability, The Hill, Kristen Hawkins, 8/16/2018)

• “This is a huge improvement over other paid maternity leave programs, which levy higher taxes and costs on employers and workers.” (Rubio’s pro-family, conservative family leave policy promotes stability, The Hill, Kristen Hawkins, 8/16/2018)

• “As an employer of more than 40 employees, all within child-bearing age, this plan would help me as well as help my employees prepare for the births of their own children.” (Rubio’s pro-family, conservative family leave policy promotes stability, The Hill, Kristen Hawkins, 8/16/2018)

“Rubio and Wagner were wise to understand that Republicans needed to adopt their own paid family leave plan. And let’s be clear: The New Parents Act is a smart proposal. It’s not a tax increase. It’s not a new entitlement. Its funding mechanism is deficit neutral in the long run. But most importantly, the New Parents Act is a conservative, pro-family solution to a real problem — it lessens the financial burden on working parents of having children and makes it easier for them to return to the workforce (and continue contributing to Social Security) without losing traction in their careers.” (How Marco Rubio’s Plan For Family Leave Could Help Save Social Security, The Federalist, Terry Schilling, 8/17/2018)

• “Rubio’s proposal represents a hopeful movement toward articulating a much larger, pro-family political agenda. Rather than complain on the sidelines, it’s time more conservatives join in this worthy and necessary endeavor.” (How Marco Rubio’s Plan For Family Leave Could Help Save Social Security, The Federalist, Terry Schilling, 8/17/2018)

• “By easing new parents’ financial anxiety and giving them an economically viable way to grow their families, the New Parents Act will help support tomorrow’s retirees.” (How Marco Rubio’s Plan For Family Leave Could Help Save Social Security, The Federalist, Terry Schilling, 8/17/2018)

“Paid leave for time off from an employer is still ideal, but when that is not an option, Rubio’s Social Security paid leave program would offer a fallback plan to help black women as they continue to close the gaps that hold them back.” (Marco Rubio’s paid leave plan would help black moms, Washington Examiner, Patrice Onwuka, 8/2/2018)

“Rubio and Wagner are definitely on to something. America is the only developed country without a national paid-parental-leave program.” (Marco Rubio’s Paid-Leave Plan Shows How Conservatives Can Embrace Working-Class Families, National Review, Samuel Hammond, 8/6/2018)

• “While the Rubio-Wagner plan is of course completely voluntary, most working families would be unambiguously better off given the option to transfer income from late in their career, when most are near the peak of their earning potential, to a period of genuine income volatility.” (Marco Rubio’s Paid-Leave Plan Shows How Conservatives Can Embrace Working-Class Families, National Review, Samuel Hammond, 8/6/2018)

• “Far from undermining Social Security, the Rubio-Wagner plan strengthens this aspect of the program by allowing parents to insure against the income and productivity shocks associated with having a child, just as the program insures against the risk of outliving one’s retirement savings.” (Marco Rubio’s Paid-Leave Plan Shows How Conservatives Can Embrace Working-Class Families, National Review, Samuel Hammond, 8/6/2018)

“‘The Rubio bill is a win-win for everyone: women, families, employers, employees, and the economy. Republicans and Democrats should get behind this important approach to paid leave.’” (Sen. Rubio’s Economic Security for New Parents Act: The Fiscally Responsible and Modern Solution to Paid Parental Leave, Independent Women’s Forum, 8/2/2018)

“As I’ve said before, the core of this idea is brilliant. It addresses the demand for paid leave by making our current entitlement system more flexible, rather than by making it bigger.” (Rubio Pushes Forward on Social Security–Based Parental Leave, National Review, Robert Verbruggen, 8/3/2018)

“This is welcome news.” (The Rubio-Wagner Bills Help Workers by Modernizing Social Security, National Review, Carrie Lukas, 8/1/2018)

• “Since many workers lack paid-leave benefits on the job, and have little savings accrued when having a child, this would help many who face a significant financial stress at a very important and vulnerable time.” (The Rubio-Wagner Bills Help Workers by Modernizing Social Security, National Review, Carrie Lukas, 8/1/2018)

• This is a modest and targeted reform that would help people who really need it, and make our entitlement programs more modern and flexible, rather than bigger. (The Rubio-Wagner Bills Help Workers by Modernizing Social Security, National Review, Carrie Lukas, 8/1/2018)

“Dominic Lombardi, executive director of the U.S. bishops’ conference Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth, told CNA that ‘the principle of family leave is an important one,” and that new parents “ought to be supported in their calling to raise the next generation.’ ‘We encourage and welcome the ideas of lawmakers such as Senator Rubio in exploring effective ways on how best to provide paid leave policies for new parents.’” (USCCB: We ‘encourage and welcome’ family leave bills, Catholic News Agency, Christine Rousselle, 8/4/2018)

“American Principles Project applauded the plan in a statement: ‘Republicans concerned with advancing conservative policies which defend and strengthen the American family should have no qualms about supporting this bill.’” (Republicans Unveil Conservative Proposal for Paid Family Leave, National Pulse, Thomas Valentine, 8/8/2018)