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President Donald Trump said it seemed like good policy to hand out money to new mothers as an incentive to increase U.S. birth rates.
Trump endorsed the idea at the White House on Tuesday when he told the New York Post he liked the idea of a cash incentive to get more Americans to have children.
"Sounds like a good idea to me," the president reportedly said.
The sum of $5,000 would be given to new mothers, with 30% of Fulbright educational grants given to applicants who are married or have children.
Another proposed program, according to the Post, would involve education surrounding menstrual cycles and ovulation so women can better determine the best time for them to conceive.
Pundits have often pointed to Hungary's reward system as a way to increase birthrates; the European country touts tax deductions and credits for each child a family has.
According to a government website, a family's first child allows for a credit equivalent to around $185 USD, while a second child earns a credit of around $370, and a third child credit is worth $610. Tax deductions are also provided per child.
At the same time, mothers with four children or more are exempt from income tax.
'A $5,000 baby bonus is wasteful and won't make a dent, especially among middle to upper class families.'
However, Hungary's birth rates have not seen a huge resurgence despite the country expanding its offers for new families. Hungary offered no-interest loans of around $33,000 to its citizens, which would be forgiven if the family has three children.
As of 2022, Hungary's live births per 1,000 people was just 9.3, according to Macrotrends, falling short of the United States' rate of 11 per 1,000.
U.S. birth rates first dropped drastically in the 1970s before increasing until 1990, when the rate was 16.7 per 1,000 people.
Commentator Maggie Anders, who has spoken extensively on the topic, reacted to the story about $5,000 for new mothers and cited statistics that showed the national average cost of raising a child annually is $23,000. This totaled $414,000 from birth to 18 years old, rendering $5,000 negligible in that journey, she claimed.
"A $5,000 baby bonus is wasteful and won't make a dent, especially among middle to upper class families," she wrote on X. "Obviously, the cost of raising a child depends on a number of factors, but it does not negate the point that housing, daycare, food costs are all very expensive. $5,000 doesn't begin to cover it," the commentator continued. "A 'that'd be nice' isn't good policy. It's wealth redistribution with unclear goals."
Comedian Mark Normand also reacted to the news story on X, and in a since-deleted remark commented, "Elon Musk just became a trillionaire!"
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