Pro-family policies are critical to reversing America’s declining birthrate
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The United States set an all-time low for births in 2025, and it’s clear that we’re nowhere near when lawmakers will take strong action to support families.
The announcement by the Centers for Disease Control did not come as a surprise, but as a final warning. For decades the federal government has ignored the gradual collapse of the American family. While Washington prioritizes corporate subsidies and global trade deals, a fundamental part of our society withers under the weight of rising costs and a culture that views parenthood as a burden. The signing of President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) marks the definitive end of this era of neglect. By expanding the Child Tax Credit and establishing the Trump Accounts, this administration recognizes that the survival of the American family must be the primary goal of national policy.
The economic reality of the next generation demands nothing but urgency. Pro-family policy is not a concern of the rich. It’s useful for struggling parents who give away permanent portions of their income to cover their children’s housing, health care, and education costs, and vacation packages for retired billionaires who own their own homes. Today, 69 million children age 17 or younger live in the United States. Their families are facing a difficult financial situation. Most of our nation’s youth – 40 million children – live in families with incomes below $100,000. More than 7 million live in households with incomes below $20,000 a year. These are the families that are the backbone of our country, yet they often struggle the most to achieve the American Dream.
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OBBB addresses this problem by turning the Child Tax Credit (CTC) into a permanent, sustainable pillar of the economy. By increasing the credit to $2,500 per child, the bill guarantees an average tax cut of $1,300 for more than 40 million families. This policy recognizes the tremendous work parents do to raise the next generation of Americans. Research from the Institute for Family Studies shows that financial benefits of this type could increase the US fertility rate by 10 percent. By reducing the financial toll of parenthood, we empower young couples to have the children they’ve always wanted but feel they can’t afford.
Trump accounts for 2025 as a real estate mogul looking to build long-term wealth. For every child born between 2025 and 2028, the Treasury Department will provide a seed donation of $1,000 in a tax-deferred account. These accounts allow families and employers to contribute up to $5,000 per year. This policy helps every new American citizen from birth. It provides a solid foundation for a child to eventually buy a home, start a business, or pursue education. This strategy considers every child as an investment in the nation’s future instead of consuming its resources.
In addition, the provision of No Taxes on Tips provides a huge boost to young parents in the service industry. Millions of Americans work in restaurants and hospitality, often working odd hours to provide for their children. By allowing these workers to deduct up to $25,000 in tips from their taxable income, the Trump administration is providing an immediate take-home pay. A server earning $20,000 in tips could save thousands of dollars a year. That money goes directly to childcare, shopping and rent.
Political differences are not absolute. Democrats in Congress have fought the OBBB with violence usually reserved for terrorists. Had they succeeded, they would have overseen a $4 trillion tax increase on American families by allowing the 2017 tax cuts to expire. They were ready to halve the Child Tax Credit for millions of parents while protecting corporate tax loopholes. This opposition reveals a lack of basic concern for the affordability problem. Similarly, some liberal activists criticize these family-oriented policies while defending billions in corporate tax credits. This type of financial purity is not intellectually honest. The tax code is already a tool of economic engineering. We should use it for the sake of the family. Corporations are not the backbone of our nation. Families are like that.
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We can find evidence that the policy is working by looking at South Korea. That nation has faced the lowest birth rates in history – 60 years of reproductive mortality driven in part by US dollars through USAID’s population control programs. However, South Korea recently posted two consecutive years of monthly birth increases. This finding is not the result of IVF or delayed parenthood. It is the result of marriage. South Korea’s baby boom after the country saw a 15 percent jump in marriages. This happened because the government and big companies stopped talking bad about family and started marriage. The South Korean government now gives married couples about $38,000 in housing allowances, child bonuses, and tax breaks.
If the Republican Party has a future, it will follow this example. Under the status quo, newlyweds will lose up to $30,000 in benefits as soon as they say, “I do.” These marriage penalties do not happen. They are a product of anti-family ideology. One can judge a tree by its fruit. For seven decades, American policymakers have used the tax code to discourage family life. This has brought us to a time of the lowest marriage rates, the lowest birth rates, and the highest levels of loneliness and depression in our history.
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President Trump and Vice President Vance are the first American leaders in generations to reject the myth that family structure is beyond the reach of good governance. They realize that if bad policy can break society, good policy can fix it. As the midterms approach, Republicans in Congress — and Leader Thune in particular — must take up the family mantle. They must take advantage of the full $5,000 Child Tax Credit supported by Trump and pass the proposal of the Project for American Values Savings Accounts. These accounts will allow young families to save money for a home payment in a tax-free environment.
It’s fitting that the CDC releases bad news about birth rates just days before Tax Day. For the longest time, April 15 felt like being kicked out of the American home. If Republicans get their act together, they might finally give American families something to celebrate next tax season.
