OPINION:
Growing up in a wholesome, Christian home in the town of Monticello in Lawrence County, Mississippi, I am so grateful I had the chance to learn many lessons from my wonderful, hardworking, salt-of-the-earth parents. Together, they taught me the value of prayer and hard work.
My family had a big garden every year, and one of my mother’s favorite sayings was “I’m not raising peas. I’m raising children.” And so we had to rise at daylight and pick those peas before we could do anything else!
My family was critical to forming who I am today, and for the same reason families everywhere are the foundation of America, or indeed any society.
Families instill the values of virtues and self-government, which are essential to maintain the American Republic. Common sense and decades of social science research confirm the essential truths that children need mothers and fathers, that marriage matters, and that children raised in intact families are more likely to thrive.
Today, however, falling birth rates and marriages in decline have greatly weakened the American family. Added stress is placed on families by the insertion of radical ideologies into children’s education and in the communities where they live. Permissive liberal approaches to societal problems, like crime, are ensnaring too many young people.
Meanwhile, many parents struggle to find work or maintain their standard of living as inflation and rising interest rates caused by the Democrats’ reckless spending have left them struggling to afford groceries or a home for their families.
Government has a role in promoting marriage. Yet sadly, for too long, flawed government policies have exacerbated the decline of the American family, infringed on parental rights in education, and entrapped many in a cycle of poverty and dependency on government. It is critical for lawmakers, churches and civil society to promote marriage and family, and reverse these disturbing trends.
Children belong to their parents. They, not the government, are their primary educators and decisionmakers because parents love their children and know their best interests. Parents should have control over their children’s education, and education dollars should be allocated in a way that respects parent’s values and their children’s needs.
The Biden administration chose to demonize parents who spoke out at local school board meetings opposing COVID-19 mandates or demanding the removal of pornographic and sexually explicit materials from school libraries. Instead of protecting the innocence of young children and the rights of parents, the Biden administration has doubled down on inserting radical gender ideology into schools, and twisted Title IX to force schools to allow boys in girls locker rooms and to compete in girls’ sports.
To counter the Biden administration’s anti-family policies, we must do more to support and foster family formation. This has taken on increased importance in light of the Dobbs decision that rightfully returned the power to protect unborn children to the peoples’ elected representatives. I am proud to join Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida in sponsoring the Providing for Life Act. This pro-life and pro-family package provides comprehensive support for pregnant mothers and their families to empower them to choose life for their babies.
Critically, the Providing for Life Act seeks to deliver tax relief to American families by greatly increasing the Child Tax Credit from $2,000 to up to $4,500 per child for children under the age of 6 — including unborn children — and up to $3,500 for children under the age of 18.
The bill would also expand tax relief for adoptive parents, support moms and children through child support reform (including during pregnancy), and provide more resources for lifting local communities through faith-based organizations. Lastly, the package would give new parents the option of obtaining paid parental leave, without adding to the deficit, by accessing up to three months of their Social Security benefits early.
American families deserve better than progressive Democrats’ policies that undermine the family, insert radical ideology in schools, and promote dependency on government rather than helping families succeed and flourish.
I am proud to support reforms that put the interests of families back at the beating heart of our nation’s economic and political life, and as the cornerstone of conservative policy reforms. By uplifting American families, promoting marriage, and reversing the Democrats’ harmful policies that have weakened families, we will restore and strengthen the promise of the American dream for generations to come.
• Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, Mississippi Republican, chairs the Senate Pro-Life Caucus and serves on the Senate Committee on Appropriation; Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry; Committee on Energy and Natural Resources; and Committee on Rules and Administration.
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