Hillary Clinton Campaign Press Release - Hillary for America Statement on New Trump Proposal

Hillary for America senior policy advisor Maya Harris issued the following statement on Donald Trump's new proposal:

"After spending his entire career — and this entire campaign — demeaning women and dismissing the need to support working families, Donald Trump released a regressive and insufficient 'maternity leave' policy that is out-of-touch, half-baked and ignores the way Americans live and work today. Instead of asking those at the top to pay their fair share, he's robbing Peter to pay Paul by raiding unemployment insurance funds, and giving the most to the wealthy while providing far less relief to middle-class and working families. The lack of seriousness of this proposal is no surprise given his history of disrespecting women in the workplace and the fact there's no evidence he ever provided paid family leave or childcare to his own employees. Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton — who has a lifelong record of fighting for women and families — has a comprehensive plan that will support 21st century families."

POLICY ANALYSIS

TRUMP MATERNITY LEAVE CLAIM: "The Trump plan will guarantee six weeks of paid maternity leave by amending the existing unemployment insurance (UI) that companies are required to carry. The benefit would apply only when employers don't offer paid maternity leave, and would be paid for by offsetting reductions in the program so that taxes are not raised."

EXPLAINER:

• Trump's plan will undercut women in the workplace and depress their wages. Trump's plan casts women as the sole child caretaker and actually encourages employers to discriminate against women. Studies have shown that providing paid leave to new mothers, but not to new fathers, negatively affects women's return to the workplace, can discourage employers from hiring or promoting female employees, and can increase the gender pay-gap. By only providing leave to new mothers, Trump's plan also undercuts working dads, including gay couples and single-fathers.
• Trump's plan is paid for on the backs of Americans most in need of support: those who have recently lost their job. By cutting unemployment insurance - rather than asking the wealthy to pay their fair share - he's putting working families at risk.
• Trump's plan would provide no relief to many working families. Unlike comprehensive and effective paid family leave proposals, Trump's plan does not guarantee workers a portion of their wages while on leave, rather workers would receive an undefined percentage of unemployment insurance. In Florida, for example, this means a mother would only receive, at most, $275 per week.
• Trump's numbers simply don't add up to a real paid leave plan.  The absurdly low projected cost of his policymeans it will not provide sufficient support for middle class families to actually afford taking time off to care for a child.
• Hillary's plan for paid family leave is actually responsive to the needs of working families in the 21st century. It would guarantee twice as many weeks of leave as Trump's plan; ensure hardworking Americans get at least two-thirds of their current wages; apply to fathers and those who need to care for an ill family member; and is funded by making the wealthy pay their fair share—not by robbing recently laid-off workers of the support their families need.

TRUMP CHILD CARE CLAIM: "The Trump plan will rewrite the tax code to allow working parents to deduct from their income taxes child care expenses for up to four children and elderly dependents…Individuals who have no tax liability…will claim an expanded Earned Income Tax Credit, equivalent to half of their payroll tax contribution."

EXPLAINER:

• Trump's child care plan gives at least twice as big a tax benefit to the wealthy than the middle class.  After changing his child care proposal numerous times, Trump's latest child care deduction remains highly regressive - Trump's plan give around 43 cents on the dollar to 470,000 families with children in the top income tax bracket, and less than half as much to tens of millions of working families in the middle class. That's because taxpayers in the top income tax bracket can deduct at their income tax rate of 39.6% plus around 4% for half of their payroll taxes.
• Trump's child care plan gives 12 million hard-working families just 4 cents on the dollar. For the 12 million families with children who do not have federal income tax liability, Trump's plan would give just a few cents on the dollar - half of their payroll tax obligations, or around 4 cents on the dollar. That's almost 10 times less than the highest-earning families eligible for the plan.
• Trump's plan could give thousands more to wealthy than working families. For example, in states like New York and Massachusetts where the average cost of childcare can be around $15,000, a family in the top bracket could get a $6,000-$7,000 tax cut by deducting at the top bracket rate of 39.6% (and potentially plus around 4% for half of their payroll tax obligations), compared to just around $200 for a family spending $5,000 a year on child care, and relying on Trump's proposal to get a roughly 4% credit.
• Trump's new child care proposal might offer families less than currently available tax credits. In fact, the more than 30 million middle-class families with children in the 15% bracket or lower might get less under Trump's plan than under the current-law Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, which offers a 20% tax credit against up to $6,000 in child care expenses, because under Trump's plan, they might only be able to deduct up to 15%.
• Trump's plan could actually bring down the quality of childcare for working families. By making child care less expensive for wealthy families, while doing close to nothing for millions of middle class Americans, Trump's plan could actually increase economic segregation in the child care setting. Decades of early learning research shows the negative impact of such segregation on children.
• Hillary's plan will actually make childcare affordable for hard-working families. Hillary believes quality, affordable childcare should be available for every family—not just those at the top. That's why she will fight to ensure no family in America pays more than more than 10% of its income to afford care.

TRUMP SAVINGS ACCOUNT CLAIM: "The Trump plan would create new Dependent Care Savings Accounts (DCSAs) so that families can set aside extra money to foster their children's development and offset elder care for their parents or adult dependents. These new accounts are available to everyone, and allow both tax-deductible contributions and tax-free appreciation year-to-year."

EXPLAINER:

• Trump's plan creates a new, regressive tax break for expensive private schools and nannies.  Trump's new savings account creates a regressive new tax break for nannies, private school and other spending for the most fortunate.
• Trump's plan offers more to high-earning families than the middle-class. The highest-earning families, like millionaires in the top bracket, could deduct 40 cents on the dollar for spending on private schools, nannies and other expenses they don't need a tax break for.
• Trump's plan gives much more to high-income families than lower income families. For example, a high-income family putting $2,000 into a savings account would get almost a $800 tax break. A middle-class family who put in $2,000 might only get $300 if they were in the 15% tax bracket. And even lower-income families eligible for a match would get less than the highest earning families.
• Hillary's plans will provide caregivers with real relief: Hillary will actually provide tax relief to families that need it most. She will offer a 20 percent tax credit to help family members offset up to $6,000 in caregiving costs for their elderly family members, allowing caregivers to claim up to $1,200 in tax relief each year.

BACKGROUND ON TRUMP'S DISMAL RECORD ON SUPPORTING FAMILIES

No Evidence Trump Provides Paid Family Leave to Employees

The Trump Presidential Campaign And The Trump Organization Did Not Respond To Questions About What Their Family Leave Policy Was. "The Daily Beast reached out to the Trump presidential campaign, the Trump Organization, and Ivanka Trump, to ask about the family leave policy at the Trump Organization. A representative from Ivanka Trump's brand replied quickly to say that employees of the former model's small fashion and lifestyle shop were provided with eight weeks of paid leave… 'In addition, since we have flexible working hours with a focus on results rather than face time, we are supportive of all working moms who some days may need or choose to work from home,' she said. 'My colleague Melissa, cc'd, can advise on Trump Org.' After three follow-up emails, Melissa from the Trump Organization wrote back: 'We will have no further comment.'" [Daily Beast, 8/15/16]

Only One Former Trump Employee Of Nine Willing To Speak Recalled Any Family Leave Offered At The Company And It Was Unpaid. "As an alternative to the tight-lipped corporate communications department, The Daily Beast reached out to over 100 former employees to ask about the company's family-leave policy…Of the nine ex-employees who were willing to speak, only one was able to recall any maternity leave—in this instance, it was apparently unpaid leave—being offered at the company, although none of them could say conclusively that no such leave was offered." [Daily Beast, 8/15/16]

Trump Lied About Providing Childcare to Employees

Donald Trump Said He Provides Child Care For His Employees And It Was Very Inexpensive To Do So — "I Do It All Over, And I Get Great People Because Of It." "Donald Trump doesn't understand why so few companies provide affordable, in-house child care for their employees like he does at some of his companies. 'It's not expensive for a company to do it,' Trump said during a town hall at a community college in this small town on Thursday afternoon. 'You need one person or two people, and you need some blocks and you need some swings and some toys. You know, surely, it's not expensive. It's not an expensive thing. I do it all over, and I get great people because of it... It's something that can be done, I think, very easily by a company.'" [Washington Post, 11/19/15]

"Trump Kids" And "Trumpeteers" Were Programs For Guests Of Trump's Hotels And A Golf Club, Not His Employees. "But the two programs Trump cited — 'Trump Kids' and 'Trumpeteers' — are programs catering to patrons of Trump's hotels and golf club. They are not for Trump's employees, according to staff at Trump's hotels and clubs across the country." [Associated Press, 8/11/16]

• AP: Trump touts child care programs, but they're for guests only
• The Daily Beast: Donald Trump Says He Gives His Workers Childcare. His Workers Say That's Baloney.
• Huffington Post: Donald Trump Has No Idea What 'Trump Kids' Actually Entails
• Vox: Trump said he gave his staff child care, but the programs were actually for his hotel guests
• The Hill: Report: Trump touted nonexistent childcare programs for employees
• New York Magazine: The Child-care Services Trump Says He Provides His Workers Don't Exist
• NYDN: Donald Trump brags about his hotels' on-site child care, but employees say programs are only for guests' kids
• Mother Jones: Liar or Idiot? Yet Again, Donald Trump Poses the Eternal Question.
• Glamour: Those Child Care Services Donald Trump Says He Offers to All Employees? They Don't Exist
• Washington Post: The Daily 202: Trump lied about providing child care for his employees.

Some of Trump's Statements On Working Women, Mothers, And Caregivers

Trump Said He Probably Would Not Have Had A Baby If His Wife Had Expected Him To Change Diapers. "'Do you actually change diapers?' host Anthony Cumia asked Donald Trump on the Opie and Anthony show in November of 2005. The then-59-year-old businessman, whose wife Melania was pregnant with his fifth child and her first, responded bluntly: 'No, I don't do that.'… 'If I had a different type of wife,' Trump said laughing, 'I probably wouldn't have a baby, ya know, cause that's not my thing. I'm really like a great father but certain things you do and certain things you don't. It's just not for me.'" [BuzzFeed, 4/24/16]; Opie And Anthony Show, 11/06]

Trump: "There's A Lot Of Women Out There That Demand That The Husband Act Like The Wife." "'There's a lot of women out there that demand that the husband act like the wife and you know there's a lot of husbands that listen to that,' Trump added." [BuzzFeed,4/24/16]; Opie And Anthony Show, 11/06]

Trump: "I Like Kids. I Mean, I Won't Do Anything To Take Care Of Them. I'll Supply Funds And She'll Take Care Of The Kids." "'Cause I like kids,' said Trump. 'I mean, I won't do anything to take care of them. I'll supply funds and she'll take care of the kids. It's not like I'm gonna be walking the kids down Central Park.'" [Buzzfeed, 2/24/16; Howard Stern Show, 4/05]

Trump On How Employers Could View Working Mothers: "She's Not Giving 100 Percent, She's Giving Me 84 Percent, And 16 Percent Is Going Towards Taking Care Of Children. So Maybe You Can Also Understand The Employer's Point Of View." BRZEZINKI: "So are we at the point where women employees who are mothers aren't as valuable, because we have kids and we balance other things? Or does having children actually increase our value?" TRUMP: "I think the most important thing is the children, and frankly [caring for them means taking] time away, and an employer could say she's not giving one hundred percent, she's giving me eighty-four percent, and sixteen percent is going towards taking care of children. So maybe you can also understand the employer's point of view." [Mika Brzezinski, Knowing Your Value: Women, Money, And Getting What You're Worth, p. 161, 2011; Huffington Post, 5/25/16]

Trump: Pregnancy Was "Certainly An Inconvenience For A Business." "In an October 2004 interview with NBC's Dateline, Trump said pregnancy is 'a wonderful thing for the woman, it's a wonderful thing for the husband, it's certainly an inconvenience for a business. And whether people want to say that or not, the fact is it is an inconvenience for a person that is running a business.'" [NBC News, 5/26/16]

2011: Trump Called A Lawyer Who Requested A Break From A Deposition To Pump Breast Milk "Disgusting," Before Ending His Testimony And Leaving The Room. "Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump once called a lawyer who requested a break from a 2011 deposition to pump breast milk 'disgusting' before ending his testimony and leaving the room. 'He got up, his face got red, he shook his finger at me and he screamed, 'You're disgusting, you're disgusting,' and he ran out of there,' Beck told CNN's Alisyn Camerota on Wednesday morning, calling it 'an absolute meltdown.'" [CNN, 7/29/15]

December 2015: Donald Trump Dismissed A Question About Child Care: "It's A Big Subject, Darling… She Wants To Know My Thoughts On Child Care. Come On, We'll Talk For About 10 Hours." "When Trump was asked about child care late last year by a member of the women's policy organization Make It Work, he mocked the questioner: 'It's a big subject, darling,' he said. 'She wants to know my thoughts on child care. Come on, we'll talk for about 10 hours.'" [Vox, 7/21/16; Press Availability, Council Bluffs IA, 12/16/15]