Kirsten Gillibrand's 'Family Bill of Rights' would give out baby starter packs to new families


Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) is laser focused on families.
From her campaign color choice to her past family leave proposals, the 2020 presidential contender has made it clear her campaign is all about boosting American women and families. And on Wednesday she took those priorities to the next level, unveiling an economic policy plan she's calling the "Family Bill of Rights."
Gillibrand's plan contains "five fundamental rights, backed up by bold policy proposals," she writes in a Wednesday blog post. "The right to a safe and healthy pregnancy" is paired with Gillibrand's pledge to "address the severe shortage of OB-GYNs in rural areas," she writes. "The right to give birth or adopt a child" comes with an expansion of taxpayer-funded adoption and anti-discrimination rules for adoptive or foster families.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Gillibrand goes on to mention a paid family leave plan and universal child health insurance to ensure peoplecan care for sick loved ones and newborn children, and promotes universal pre-K to expand affordable child care. There's also "the right to a safe affordable nursery," which Gillibrand will cover via "baby bundles" containing "diapers, swaddle blankets, and onesies, all in a box with a small mattress that can be repurposed as a nursery bed," the blog post continues.
The paid leave plan is "similar to a bill" Gillibrand has spent the past six years introducing in the Senate, The New York Times notes. That family focus might be why, after the first round of 2020 fundraising, Gillibrand was the only candidate who got more than half of her donations from women.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
Nashville dining: Far more than barbecue and hot chicken
Feature A modern approach to fine-dining, a daily-changing menu, and more
-
Music Reviews: Coco Jones and Viagra Boys
Feature "Why Not More?" and "Viagr Aboys"
-
Visa wants to let AI make credit card purchases for you
The Explainer The program will allow you to set a budget and let AI learn from your shopping preferences
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wife
speed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster show
Speed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top Grammys
Speed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards
-
The Louvre is giving 'Mona Lisa' her own room
Speed Read The world's most-visited art museum is getting a major renovation
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talks
Speed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tour
Speed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamation
Speed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia