Liberals in Congress are still insisting that they shouldn’t be forced to choose which of their four main family policy priorities makes it into the next multitrillion-dollar spending bill. But Sen. Joe Manchin is insisting they choose, so the New York Times asked 18 academics what their choices would be.

See if you can detect a pattern as these liberal academics explain why they chose the family policy priorities they did.

Recommended Stories

Mike Rogers draws fire from both sides after pledging no federal action on abortion

Senate scorecard: How nine coin-toss races are stacking up on final day before midterm elections

Trump spends nearly half of his midterm closing pitch talking about Reflecting Pool renovations