The ERLC joined the American Principles Project and other pro-family organizations urging U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune to use the upcoming budget reconciliation package to address problematic marriage penalties embedded in federal welfare programs. As Congress weighs the potential of a second reconciliation package, the ERLC is engaging House and Senate leadership with key priorities a new bill should address. The letter specifically addresses marriage penalties within federal assistance programs, oftentimes forcing individuals to sacrifice significant assistance if they married.
The God-ordained institution of marriage is vital to the prosperity of families and our culture. Marriage reduces poverty, improves economic outcomes, and provides necessary social stability. Marriage and family must be encouraged in our federal social policy as a pillar of what we value as a society. Marriage is at the heart of strong families and should not be penalized in our nation’s policies designed to support families.
“Marriage is at the heart of strong families.”
The letter shares research stating:
Decades of research show that children do better when raised in married households, and that strong families reduce poverty, improve economic outcomes, and foster the social stability necessary for a thriving nation. Yet too many federal means-tested programs actively discourage marriage, penalizing the very values our country should be encouraging. In certain cases, these penalties can amount to as much as $27,727, making marriage financially irrational for many families. 1Robert Rector, “Understanding Marriage Penalties in Welfare and Their Impact on Society,” (Feb. 11, 2025). https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Rector-Written-Testimony.pdf
An opportunity to remove marriage penalties from federal welfare programs
The budget reconciliation process is a time to set fiscal objectives in keeping with our nation’s enduring principles of faith and family. We urge the House and Senate to ensure that this reconciliation package includes provisions to:
- Review and adjust eligibility and benefit phase-outs to reward work and support marriage.
- Streamline duplicative programs and eliminate counterproductive spending.
- Increase transparency and accountability to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse.
- Advance reforms that restore marriage, self-reliance, and family stability as guiding principles of federal social policy.
As Southern Baptists, we believe that “God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society.” The Baptist Faith & Message affirms the biblical teaching of marriage and family as creation ordinances and blessings from God, foundational to human flourishing. As our nation continues to grapple with the realities of the sexual revolution and radical gender ideology, we will continue to advocate for policies that maintain God’s good design for life together.
Learn more about how the ERLC advocates for pro-family tax policies.
