Romney Campaign Press Release - The Romney Agenda: Strengthening Families

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STRATEGY FOR A STRONGER AMERICA:

STRENGTHENING FAMILIES

Governor Romney's 12-Point Conservative Plan To Strengthen And Empower American Families:


Today, At The Family Research Council, Governor Mitt Romney Will Outline A 12-Point Conservative Plan To Strengthen Families In America. There is much our nation can do to assist and validate parents in their vital role because families are the building blocks of America. Our future as a nation is determined not just by heads of state but also by heads of households. As President, Governor Romney will ensure that Washington stands alongside parents building stronger families.

- Governor Romney Believes Our Nation Is Stronger When We Have Stronger Families. The source of most of society's social problems can be traced to a breakdown of the family. Our society is wealthier, healthier and stronger when it has strong families. It is the strength of this nation's families that ultimately determines America's strength in the family of nations.

ACTION #1: Convening A White House Summit On Strengthening Families:


Governor Romney Will Convene A White House Summit On Strengthening Families. As President, Governor Romney will act to strengthen the family, particularly in the inner cities of America. This White House Summit will be a springboard to develop new initiatives to strengthen families.

ACTION #2: Realigning Government Incentives To Encourage Marriage:


Governor Romney Will Realign Government Incentives To Encourage Marriage, Not Penalize It. Today, a single mother with child care who marries the father of her child can lose as much as $6,000 a year in government benefits. Their combined incomes can disqualify them for Medicaid, housing vouchers, food stamps, and welfare. It is time to make fathers responsible for their child's health and care. Furthermore, we need to end the tax penalty on married couples.

ACTION #3: Reinstating The Family Impact Statement:


Governor Romney Will Reinstate The Family Impact Statement. In an effort to keep government from doing things that hurt and weaken families in America, President Ronald Reagan issued an Executive Order establishing a requirement that new government policies and programs be subject to the Family Impact Statement. However, this Executive Order was rescinded by President Clinton. As President, Governor Romney will reinstate the Family Impact Statement and initiate an audit of all current programs and policies which may negatively impact families.

- Governor Romney Will Support The Rights Of Parents Who Are Not Always Consulted About Decisions Affecting Their Children. The work of being a parent is hard enough without the government making it harder.

ACTION #4: Championing A Federal Marriage Amendment:


Governor Romney Will Champion A Federal Marriage Amendment To Protect Marriage As The Union Of A Man And A Woman. In Massachusetts, Governor Romney fought to promote traditional marriage after the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court legalized same-sex marriage. Governor Romney believes marriage is primarily about the development and nurturing of children. Every child deserves a mother and a father. Governor Romney is the only major Republican candidate who supports a federal amendment because it is the only way to truly protect marriage.

ACTION #5: Promoting A Culture Of Life:


Governor Romney Will Be A Pro-Life President. Governor Romney will appoint and fight for judges who follow the law and Constitution, who understand judicial restraint and will not legislate from the bench. As President, Governor Romney will promote pro-life polices. He will oppose taxpayer-funded abortion, partial-birth abortion, abortion in military clinics and funding of abortion in international aid programs. He will work to ban embryonic cloning. He will work to increase adoptions by making the adoption tax credit permanent and raising awareness about embryonic adoption, or snowflake babies.

ACTION #6: Fighting Internet Pornography:


Governor Romney Will Fight The Modern Plague Of Internet Pornography, Especially As It Impacts Our Youth. We must clean up the culture that surrounds our children. Computer pornography has given new meaning to the words "home invasion." As President, Governor Romney will work to ensure that every home computer has an easy to engage pornography filter so that parents can protect their children. Predators who use the Internet to sexually assault children will be subject to a new "One Strike, You're Ours" law of imposing long prison sentences followed by lifetime GPS tracking.

ACTION #7: Taking The Campaign Against Drugs To A New Level:


Governor Romney Will Take The Campaign Against Drugs To A New Level. We can do a better job educating our kids on the perils of drug use. Parents may be the best anti-drug there is. A study last month showed that young children who come from homes where families had dinner together five times a week or more were 1/6th as likely to have used drugs.

ACTION #8: Ensuring That Every Family Has Health Insurance:


Governor Romney Will Ensure That Every Family Has Health Insurance. Using proven, free-market principles, Governor Romney's plan will ensure every citizen has health insurance, without new taxes, a government-run HillaryCare style system or socialized medicine. Governor Romney put these conservative principles to work in Massachusetts and the number of uninsured has been cut in half.

ACTION #9: Improving Education For Our Children:


Governor Romney Will Work To Better Schools And Better Education For Our Children. Governor Romney believes in school choice and that every child should have an equal opportunity to have a good education. He supported school choice and fought for charter schools in Massachusetts, and he will do the same thing in Washington.

- For Parents Home Schooling Their Children, Governor Romney Proposes A Federal Tax Credit To Help Defray The Cost Of Home-Schooling Expenses.

ACTION #10: Helping Parents Save For Their Children's College Education:


Governor Romney Will Help Parents Save For Their Children's Future College Education. He has proposed a middle-class tax-free savings program for every family earning $200,000 a year or less. Under his plan, their tax rate on interest, dividends and capital gains will be absolutely zero.

ACTION #11: Defending America's Religious Heritage:


Governor Romney Will Defend America's Religious Heritage. As President, Governor Romney will ensure that his Attorney General defends the free exercise of religion. The United States is a nation under God and should remain that way.

ACTION #12: Leading By Example:

As President, Governor Romney Will Lead By Example. The First Family represents America to the world and represents America to our children and grandchildren. As President, Governor Romney's family will live up to a higher standard and always try to make the American people proud.

Read Governor Romney's Full Strategy For A Stronger America:

To read more about Governor Romney's agenda to change Washington, please click on the Strategy for a Stronger America , a compilation of his policy proposals for conservative change and to meet the new generation of challenges confronting our nation. Since January 2007, Governor Romney has outlined more than 50 different policy proposals. From defeating violent Jihadists to protecting traditional values, Governor Romney believes we can build a stronger America by taking Washington apart and putting it back together based on conservative principles that strengthen our national defense, our economy and our families.