A recently shared video featuring Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance is gaining popularity online amid ongoing conversations about economic concerns and family choices in the current election season.

This specific clip from 2023 is attracting attention because Vance suggests that the regulations surrounding car seats are discouraging families from having more children.

A TikTok shared by user @WhatTheActualKaren, who describes herself as “Team Kamala,” highlights a part of Vance’s discussion with Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO, during a Senate hearing in March 2023 focused on the Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation.

The complete footage from the hearing, initially highlighted by Snopes, captures Vance speaking about the need to consider both safety enhancements for infants on flights and the potential challenges these can create for parents and children.

“American families are not having enough babies. I believe there is proof that some regulations we’re imposing are reducing the number of children American families are choosing to have,” Vance states in the clip.

“Specifically, it appears that the car seat regulations we have implemented, which of course I support for child safety, have contributed to a decrease of over 100,000 births in the U.S. Therefore, it’s essential that we ensure child safety in ways that accommodate American families.”

Vance’s campaign has not yet responded to YSL News’s request for commentary on this matter.

Public Reaction to Vance’s Remarks and Economic Concerns

Vance’s comments about car seats mark yet another instance of his past statements being spotlighted for political discussion. His earlier remarks in 2021 about “childless cat ladies” supposedly overseeing the country’s future have consistently been criticized by Democrats.

The TikTok clip from the transportation hearing spread widely on X (formerly Twitter), often accompanied by laughing or eye-rolling emojis. Many users contended that it’s the economy, rather than car seat laws, that is leading to fewer children being born.

“Sure JD Vance, it’s definitely the car seat regulations that are discouraging people from having children. Not the exorbitant costs of daycare and groceries, not the fact that both parents often work multiple jobs to get by, or their own personal ambitions. It’s simply the car seat laws.” one user sarcastically remarked.

The economy has been a significant topic in this election cycle, with both presidential candidates asserting that they can better assist Americans grappling with ongoing inflation and rising living expenses.

Former President Donald Trump emphasizes universal tariffs, extending 2017 tax cuts, and tackling illegal immigration in his economic strategy. In contrast, Vice President Kamala Harris plans to address the housing crisis, lower childcare costs, and combat price gouging on groceries.