The Cost of Mandated Leave, Title IX, and Washington's $5.1 Billion Mistake

Wednesday, June 3, 2026

You’re listening to American Ground Radio with Louis R. Avallone and Stephen Parr. This is the full show for June 2, 2026.

We open with House Democrats promoting the Reproductive Health Care Leave Act — a bill that would require employers to provide up to 12 days of paid leave annually for menstrual and reproductive health issues. We ask the questions nobody in Washington is asking — what does this do to small businesses, what does this do to GDP, and what kind of incentive does this create for employers deciding between male and female job candidates? We also connect it to the same pattern we see in every Democrat policy proposal — from Obamacare to minimum wage mandates — where the people making the rules have no concept of how a business actually functions or how the cost gets paid. We also revisit Obamacare's core promise — bend the curve down on health care costs — and note that the average American family now pays $2,200 a month for health insurance, more than the average mortgage payment, while most Americans still can't find out what an x-ray actually costs.

In our Top 3 Things You Need to Know, President Trump signed an executive order lowering tariffs on copper, aluminum, and steel from 25% to 15% — a move Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick requested in response to conditions affecting domestic industries. We note this kind of market-reactive decision is exactly why tariff authority may need to sit with the executive rather than the legislature. Then Mexican authorities discovered a cartel smuggling tunnel running three football fields long, 20 feet underground, equipped with lights, ventilation, and electric sliding mechanisms — running from Tijuana directly under a home and into San Diego. And Tulsi Gabbard has officially resigned as Director of National Intelligence to care for her husband as he undergoes surgery for a rare form of bone cancer — with Bill Pulte, currently head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, named as interim DNI.

Our American Mama Teri Netterville joins the conversation on the Reproductive Health Care Leave Act — and she has opinions. Teri calls it utterly ridiculous, points out that there is already sick leave for genuine medical issues, warns that if 12 paid days are mandated, every single one of them will get used regardless of medical necessity, and asks the question the Democrats haven't answered — define what a woman is before you pass a bill about women's health. We also revisit the fundamental contradiction — the same party demanding menstrual leave for women is demanding women serve in combat alongside men with no accommodation.

We cover President Trump declaring June Title IX Month — rather than Pride Month — and make the case that Title IX may be the most consequential piece of legislation for women in American history. We point to the U.S. women's soccer team, which has won more World Cups than any other nation on earth — not because American women are more interested in soccer than their male counterparts, but because Title IX forced colleges to build women's programs that no other country was building. We note the irony that Megan Rapinoe, whose career exists because of Title IX, now argues that biological males should be allowed to compete against women.

In our Digging Deep segment, South Dakota has passed a law banning the advertising of abortion pills — which are already illegal in the state — and the New York-based nonprofit Mayday Health is suing, claiming free speech protection. We dig into the constitutional question — can you advertise for something illegal? Can a state that has declared abortion to be murder allow advertising for murder? We also note that the advertising isn't passive — the web address in the ad leads directly to shipping the illegal drugs into the state. We lay out the arguments on both sides and acknowledge this is likely headed to the Supreme Court.

We also take on Steph Curry's decision to sign an athletic branding deal with a Chinese company rather than an American one — and make the case that while it's his right, symbolism matters when your entire brand is built on American fans.

For our Bright Spot, Indiana Governor Mike Braun has declared June as Nuclear Family Month — complete with a proclamation citing research that children raised by married biological parents have better physical and emotional outcomes, that when families weaken society compensates with expensive inferior substitutes like welfare systems and surrogate discipline, and that the nuclear family is the most effective means of raising capable adults. We call it exactly what it is — something any parent can explain to their children in ten seconds without any awkwardness whatsoever.

We also cover Pete Hegseth's discovery of $5.1 billion in duplicate contracts at the Department of Defense — overlapping IT systems, consulting contracts, and overpriced services — and explain why you won't hear about this in many other places — because it confirms what most Americans already suspect about how Washington spends their money.

And we close with words of wisdom about the importance of family from Thomas Jefferson, Princess Diana, Lee Iacocca, and Mother Teresa. May your pursuit of happiness bring you joy.

Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, visit AmericanGroundRadio.com, and join the conversation at 866-AGR-1776!

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