Marco Rubio has distinguished himself in the GOP presidential field with his robust and carefully crafted foreign policy. So it’s disappointing that he’s sometimes taken to playing defensive politics on domestic issues and the economy.

Democrats are making a federal mandate for paid family leave part of the 2016 campaign, part of their drive to use government benefits to help voters forget seven years of stagnant incomes. The right Republican response would be to say it’s great if businesses can afford to offer leave, as thousands do. But when government mandates it, the result is often less employment and lower pay for everyone. The better solution is faster economic growth and more job openings.

Instead, Mr. Rubio has countered by proposing a tax credit that offsets 25% of the cost for employers that provide at least four weeks of paid family leave. The tax credit, which would be capped at $4,000 per employee, is “creatively applying our free enterprise principles in a way that encourages businesses to choose to offer more paid family leave,” says Mr. Rubio.

Read the full article at The Wall Street Journal: Rubio’s Family Leave Gambit