Sen. Mitt Romney, R-UT, wants Americans to have more babies.
Romney discussed his Family Security Act during a panel discussion Tuesday with the Sutherland Institute, a Utah-based conservative think tank.
He said he’s worried about the drop in the birth rates. In 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the lowest in more than 30 years.
So, he’s proposing paying couples to support their child every month. Parents could receive $350 for kids up to age 5, then $250 until 17. Monthly payments would be capped at $1,250.
“We saw polls that showed a number of folks saying that they were delaying having children because of the cost of the child,” Romney said. “Others [said] they were having fewer children because of the cost of the child.”
He addressed criticisms of his proposal. Conservatives have compared it to universal basic income — an idea usually put forth by progressives.
“In universal basic income, you get a check from [the] government for being alive. There’s no problem you’re looking to overcome,” he said. “In this case, we’re creating an incentive for people to be able to form families and to have children because we’re recognizing that we’re not reproducing ourselves.”
Romney said he believes having bigger families is important for supporting American values.
“We’re a great nation, and maintaining this nation and its greatness includes maintaining our population,” he said. “And having people marry and having children is the foundation of conservatism.”
