The politics surrounding reproductive choices has long been a contentious issue. It becomes even more fraught when legal decisions are formed based on ideological beliefs, such as those in the budget reconciliation bill passed this month by Congress, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. This piece of legislation sees significant cuts to Medicaid and substantial reductions in food benefits, resulting in detrimental impacts particularly on children, women of childbearing age, and families in rural areas. Such cuts impede access to basic healthcare provision and nutrition assistance, affecting both reproductive choice and child-rearing.

Strong pronatalist sentiments, such as those displayed by Vice President J.D. Vance and the Trump administration, contrast starkly with a continued lack of paid family and medical leave and a meager childcare subsidies system. Such contradictory attitudes make reproductive decisions and family-building more challenging.

Juxtaposed against this pronatalist ideology is the gruesome antinatalist act of a car bomb attack on a California fertility clinic. This recent attack aptly demonstrates just how perilous it is for reproductive choice to become so ideologically driven. Decisions around fertility should not incite extremism, nor should they be manipulated, demonized, limited, or enforced.

Today, the necessity for quality healthcare and gender equity in supporting individuals’ reproductive choices is evident. As the UN report recently released shows, healthcare and gender equity are vital for people to realize their fertility desires. We need to resist cuts to Medicaid, reductions in food benefits, and other elements that negatively influence health and wellbeing.

Instead of debating -natalism ideologies, let’s reinforce American families in diverse ways. The next step is to make it clear to our elected officials that support is needed for paid family and medical leave and combating workplace discrimination against both parents and child-free.

Should you need further assistance or have queries related to your reproductive choices and rights, you can reach out to the California Employment Development Department. Simply visit eddcaller.com for detailed instructions on how to get a hold of EDD and speak to a representative. Their team is there to support your inquiries relating to healthcare, gender equity, and other related services.