People Are Ripping Apart Donald Trump's New Maternity Leave Policy

Donald Trump shared his plan for paid maternity leave on Tuesday and it departs radically from traditional GOP policy. In the past, Republicans have shied away from maternity leave proposals because it would require an expansion of government spending and social security.

Trump's proposal provides six weeks of paid maternity leave for mothers whose employers don't already offer leave. It would be financed by eliminating fraud in unemployment insurance. The plan would not offer paid paternity leave, despite research that indicates paternity leave's benefits. What's more, the proposal says working parents (earning up to $250,000 as individuals or $500,000 as a married couple) can take an income tax deduction for up to four children and elderly dependents. It also offers child-care spending rebates of up to $1,200 a year for families with the lowest incomes to help pay for child care.

While Trump's suggested paid leave is unusual for Republicans, it faced sharp criticism from child-care and tax experts. Vivien Labaton, the codirector of an advocacy group for working parents called Make It Work, said Trump's policy was "woefully inadequate" in a comment to The New York Times considering child care typically costs between $10,000 and $20,000 a year.

Hillary Clinton's campaign also denounced Trump's proposal. Maya Harris, Clinton's senior policy adviser, released a statement that called Trump's plan "a regressive and insufficient 'maternity leave' policy that is out-of-touch, half-baked and ignores the way Americans live and work today." Comparatively, Clinton's proposed family leave plan offers 12 paid weeks to both mothers and fathers.

Clinton's team were not the only outspoken critics of Trump's proposed plan. People on Twitter also responded to the plan.

Important note on Trump's 6-week maternity leave plan: it's NOT full paid maternity leave. It's a safety net: 6 weeks unemployment benefits

— Jeremy Diamond (@JDiamond1) September 13, 2016

Now back to maternity leave – some economists said Trump's proposal will be an easy excuse for companies to drop existing maternity benefits

— Sara Murray (@SaraMurray) September 13, 2016

@ajjaffe So if $$ for maternity leave comes from unemployment insurance, will they technically be unemployed? Not good!

— Susan Davis (@sadele2) September 13, 2016

Why does Trump's child care proposal include paid maternity leave but not paternity leave? What does he have against men?

— Igor Bobic (@igorbobic) September 13, 2016

Trump's plan would "guarantee 6 weeks of paid maternity leave" by amending existing unemployment insurance companies are required to carry.

— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) September 13, 2016

Trump's proposed tax plan detailed additional tax rebates. Stay-at-home parents would receive a deduction, spending rebates would be provided through the Earned Income Tax Credit, and it would offer a federal savings account revision so parents could set aside money for their children's education.

Trump's policy was written with the help of his daughter Ivanka Trump, according to the Wall Street Journal. Ivanka has a record of pushing her father toward prioritizing policy that is progressive toward working women, as was reflected in her RNC speech this Summer.