The Heritage Foundation think tank is urging the federal government to “save and restore the American family,” kicking off the midterm election year by calling on conservatives to focus on domestic issues.
Among his recommendations? A “marriage boot camp,” designed to prepare cohabiting couples for marriage; a “universal day of rest” which would rely on blue laws which limit the sale of alcohol in certain municipalities; and the discouragement of online dating, in part because of research showing that “couples who meet online are also less likely to marry in the first place.”
The comprehensive plan, released Thursday and first reported by The Washington Post, marks the foundation’s evolution from its small-government roots to a pillar of the populist right. During President Donald Trump’s second term, Heritage demonstrated its impact with Project 2025, which served as a model for reshaping American politics.
“The primary role of government is to weed out weeds and prevent its policies and programs from poisoning the soil,” wrote the new report’s authors, led by Roger Severino, Heritage’s vice president of economic and domestic policy. “Unfortunately, barring a radical redefinition of the institution, marriage is not currently a federal priority.”
Last year, Heritage Chairman Kevin Roberts rattled conservative corners when — as Democrats accused Republicans of tolerating anti-Semitism within their party — he defended prominent conservative commentator Tucker Carlson for his friendly podcast interview with far-right activist Nick Fuentes, known for his anti-Semitic views. The comments sparked outrage and resignations from Heritage board members, staff and executives.
The ultimate thrust of the new Heritage report is that U.S. policy “encourages and protects family formation, not mere fertility,” advising against any policies “that undermine marriage and family formation, or that reward or encourage unnecessary delay in marriage and out-of-wedlock births.”
Tax codes, Heritage writes, “should not penalize marriage and encourage single parenthood,” and education policy “should not incentivize young Americans to delay marriage while pursuing unnecessary education.”
The report also calls on Trump to issue “a series of executive orders requiring every grant, contract, policy, regulation, research project, and enforcement action involving the federal government to do the following: explicitly measure how it helps or harms marriage and families, block actions that discriminate against family formation, and give preference to actions that support American families.” »
Eric Rosswood, author of “Journey to Parenthood: The Ultimate Guide for Same-Sex Couples,” said he agrees with some of Heritage’s arguments, such as the threats posed by food insecurity and the lack of affordable child care. But he disagrees with the report’s recommendation that subsidies be paid to married families or that children would be better suited to be raised by their biological parents.
“I think what they’re owed is a family that’s going to provide for their kids and take care of them, make sure they have a roof over their head, make sure they have their meals, go to school, parents that support their hobbies and motivate them,” said Rosswood, who raises two children with her husband.
“I don’t think it’s based on gender. I don’t think it has to do with biological genetics. I think it’s what a parent does, no matter who they are.”
During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump distanced himself from Project 2025, a nearly 900-page guide written by many conservatives who worked in or with the first Trump administration. Yet some of his principles have become hallmarks of his second term thus far, including the creation of the Department of Government Effectiveness and the dissolution of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
During the 2024 race, it emerged that JD Vance — who was then Trump’s running mate — had praised Roberts’ vision in the foreword to the Heritage leader’s upcoming book, “Dawn’s Early Light,” calling Heritage “the most influential engine of ideas for Republicans, from Ronald Reagan to Donald Trump.”
Current Vice President Vance, who sometimes references his personal struggles when describing policies he says would help make parenthood easier, has long made clear that he makes family formation a policy priority, suggesting ideas such as allowing parents to vote on behalf of their children or providing low-interest loans to married couples with children.
Recognizing that in vitro fertilization – a medical procedure that helps people facing infertility start their families – has benefits, the report opposes the practice outside of marriage.
“A baby-at-all-costs mentality would come at too great a cost, not just financial, but moral and spiritual” and “intentionally denies the right of every child conceived – to be born and raised in a relationship with its mother and father bound by marriage,” Heritage writes.
During the first month of his second term, Trump signed an executive order aimed at reducing the costs of IVF, calling for a list of policy recommendations on protecting access to IVF and “aggressive reductions in out-of-pocket and health plan costs for IVF treatment.” In October, Trump followed that up with new federal guidelines that he said would allow companies to offer fertility benefits separate from major medical insurance plans. Costs of a common fertility drug would also fall thanks to a deal with drugmaker EMD Serono.
IVF became a talking point during the 2024 presidential campaign when Alabama agreed to shield in vitro fertilization providers from legal liability, weeks after the state Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos could be considered children under state law.
Along with drug price negotiations, Heritage praised Trump for promising to “address the ‘root causes’ of infertility.” The White House did not immediately comment Thursday on the report, or whether anyone within the administration collaborated on it.
___
Meg Kinnard can be contacted at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP
