Family & Pro-Life Issues
As the father of four young boys, I know that the most important thing in life is family. At the end of my first year in office, my youngest son Franklin was born. The addition of Franklin to our family was a reminder that I hold a responsibility to use my role in Congress to advocate for children and support mothers.
Every child should be given opportunities to thrive, no matter the circumstances of their conception or birth. I support resources for low-income mothers and children, including housing, childcare, health care, and access to better educational opportunities and contraception. It is for this reason that I have co-led the introduction of the Care for Her Act, which facilitates resources for women who are struggling with an unexpected pregnancy. By expanding the child tax credit, coordinating state and federal resources, distributing grants for housing, health care, and job training, we can fulfill the unmet needs of pregnant and parenting mothers.
Last year, I also co-led theImproving Adoption Outcomes and Affordability Act, which would authorize the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) to award grants to state or local governments, public or private adoption agencies, and faith-based organizations for the purpose of enhancing medical support services and mental health resources for mothers considering adoption.
And just recently, I introduced the Connecting Forever Families Actto improve and provide resources to the Court Improvement Program (CIP), which supports the judicial processes for child welfare proceedings across the United States. This program equips courts for training, legal representation, and technological modernization to improve outcomes and timeliness of placement for children in foster care and in need of adoption.
In the summer of 2022, Americans witnessed the biggest pro-life win in a generation as Roe v. Wade was struck down by the Supreme Court. As one of the over 200 Republicans in Congress who urged this reversal, I am pleased that states will now have the chance to enact protections for babies and mothers. Moving forward, Republicans must continue to not only protect unborn children, but prioritize support for expecting mothers, their families, and children in our child welfare system.