Trump Administration Receives Proposals to Boost Birth Rate
Cash Incentives of 7 Million Won and Menstrual Cycle Education Suggested
Trump Introduces IVF Support, Calls Himself the "Fertilization President"
US President Donald Trump is reportedly considering measures to boost the country's birth rate. According to Yonhap News on April 21 (local time), citing the New York Times (NYT), "The Trump administration is exploring various measures to encourage Americans to get married and have more children." Recently, White House aides have been receiving policy proposals from organizations seeking to increase the birth rate.
According to the NYT, one proposal received by aides suggests allocating 30% of the total scholarships from the government-sponsored Fulbright Program to applicants who are married or have children. Other proposals include providing a $5,000 (approximately 7 million won) "baby bonus" in cash to every mother who gives birth. There has also been discussion about allocating government funds to educational programs that teach women about the menstrual cycle, so they can better understand their ovulation and fertility periods. However, it remains uncertain whether these low birth rate measures will actually be implemented.
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), who has 14 children, and Vice President J.D. Vance, are among the administration officials who have shown a relatively high level of interest in the low birth rate issue. Previously, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy also stated, "We will prioritize transportation budgets for regions where the birth rate and marriage rate are higher than the national average." Duffy himself has nine children and ten siblings. On March 26, President Trump introduced a policy supporting in vitro fertilization (IVF) at an event commemorating Women's History Month, referring to himself as the "fertilization president."
According to the statistical organization Worldometer, the current population of the United States is estimated at about 347 million. As of 2023, the country's total fertility rate (the average number of children a woman is expected to have during her reproductive years) was 1.62. This is about twice the rate of South Korea (0.72), but it has been on the decline since 2007. As a result, there is a growing awareness in the United States that raising the birth rate is necessary to support the aging population and the social safety net.
According to the NYT, Christian conservatives believe that "a cultural crisis has emerged, with declining birth and marriage rates, because politics and the mainstream media have disparaged traditional families and encouraged women to prioritize careers over child-rearing." The family structure referred to by these groups is one formed through the marriage of a man and a woman, excluding families that do not conform to traditional gender roles or structures, such as same-sex marriages. In contrast, so-called "pro-natalists," including Musk, strongly support reproductive technologies such as IVF, highlighting a difference of opinion with Christian conservatives.
In February, President Trump issued an executive order to lower the cost of IVF procedures, which drew strong opposition from some Christian groups. Their concerns stem from the potential disregard for life, as embryos may be discarded or frozen during the IVF process. However, surveys indicate that a majority of Americans support IVF procedures. According to a poll conducted last year by Pew Research, 70% of respondents viewed access to IVF positively, while only 8% expressed a negative opinion at that time.
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