Overview

• The White House is considering a $5,000 cash bonus for new mothers as part of a broader effort to increase the U.S. birth rate, which fell to a historic low of 1.62 births per woman in 2023.
• President Trump called the baby bonus idea a 'good idea,' while Vice President JD Vance has advocated for expanding the child tax credit to $5,000 per child.
• Other proposed measures include reserving 30% of Fulbright scholarships for married applicants or parents and funding menstrual-cycle education programs to improve fertility awareness.
• Critics question the effectiveness of one-time financial incentives, citing high child-rearing costs and mixed results from similar international policies in countries like Australia and Hungary.
• No final decisions have been made, and the administration continues to evaluate the potential impact and feasibility of these pronatalist initiatives.