What Republican Parents Really Want
March 6, 2023
There has recently been a lot of chatter in Washington about family policy, and surprisingly to many people, a lot of it has happened among Republicans. Senators like Mitt Romney and Marco Rubio have released proposals that offer financial benefits to many American households for children, while other conservatives have talked about becoming a “parents’ party.” The overturning of Roe v. Wade has accelerated this trend.
But the center of gravity in the Republican Party is still more comfortable picking culture war fights than offering policy solutions. A true party for parents needs to provide something for their pocketbooks as well as for their values. Republicans, still grappling with their newfound identity as the party of the working class, need to understand that a pro-family agenda that doesn’t provide material support to families will be, at best, half-baked.
