“Being pro-life means being pro-family. That means ensuring families aren’t penalized for deciding to have a parent stay home with their new baby,” Moore told The Daily Wire. “Our bill ensures families won’t face a huge bill for insurance premiums simply for choosing what’s best for their family.”

Currently, if a new parent leaves the workforce, their employer could force them to pay back insurance premiums, which could be as much as $25,000 per year. The new legislation would ban employers from recovering those premiums if a new parent chooses to stay at home with their children.

Paid family leave after childbirth is a major issue, with new mothers in particular feeling pressured to return to the workforce as quickly as possible. New mothers experiencing postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis have increased in recent years. According to a study in the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, less than 12 weeks of maternal leave is associated with “higher maternal depression, lower parental preoccupation with the infant, less knowledge of infant development, more negative impact of birth on self-esteem and marriage, and higher career centrality.”

Nearly one in four moms return to work just two weeks after giving birth.

Clearly, more support is needed for new parents, and this bill is a small step towards providing that.

“Our legislation rectifies a problem with the Family and Medical Leave Act that unfairly impacts mothers who decide to stay home with their newborns after maternity leave,” Lee told The Daily Wire. “Each additional financial burden we can remove from growing American families is a victory, and this bill will make it easier for hundreds of thousands of new parents to care for their kids.”

Currently, if a new parent leaves the workforce, their employer could force them to pay back insurance premiums, which could be as much as $25,000 per year. The new legislation would ban employers from recovering those premiums if a new parent chooses to stay at home with their children.

Paid family leave after childbirth is a major issue, with new mothers in particular feeling pressured to return to the workforce as quickly as possible. New mothers experiencing postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis have increased in recent years. According to a study in the Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, less than 12 weeks of maternal leave is associated with “higher maternal depression, lower parental preoccupation with the infant, less knowledge of infant development, more negative impact of birth on self-esteem and marriage, and higher career centrality.”

Nearly one in four moms return to work just two weeks after giving birth.

Clearly, more support is needed for new parents, and this bill is a small step towards providing that.

“Our legislation rectifies a problem with the Family and Medical Leave Act that unfairly impacts mothers who decide to stay home with their newborns after maternity leave,” Lee told The Daily Wire. “Each additional financial burden we can remove from growing American families is a victory, and this bill will make it easier for hundreds of thousands of new parents to care for their kids.”

Bridget Sielicki