Young Republicans of Texas

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Resolution on Family Formation

Calls for paid parental leave, marriage incentives, affordable family housing, vocational education, and policies supporting family formation in Texas.

WHEREAS, the nuclear family, founded on marriage and the bond between mother and father, is the foundational institution of a free and Christian society, and the Republican Party of Texas lists self-sufficient families founded on the traditional marriage of one natural man and one natural woman among its core principles; and

WHEREAS, the American fertility rate hit a record low of 1.59 lifetime births per woman in 2024, far below the replacement level of 2.1, while only 69% of Americans have ever married and only 59% of children lived with their married biological parents in 2019, compared with more than 70% in 1960, and declining marriage, not teen births, explains America’s falling fertility; and

WHEREAS, half of parents want more children but cannot afford them, regulations account for nearly a quarter of the cost of building a new home, and young men without stable work are less likely to marry, yet the nation spends roughly $150 billion on higher education against only $1.9 billion on vocational education; and

WHEREAS, an estimated 74% of working Texans lack access to paid family leave; and

WHEREAS, leading conservative family scholars argue that any paid leave program must prioritize mothers recovering from childbirth while supporting time off for fathers and adoptive parents, and about 71% of parents, including 62% of Republican parents, support paid parental leave; and

WHEREAS, a systematic review of 23 policy changes in Europe and North America found that generous paternity and parental leave reforms consistently increase fertility; and

WHEREAS, we applaud President Trump and congressional Republicans for the 2025 federal tax law that raised the child tax credit to $2,200 per child and created a business credit for employers offering paid family and medical leave, and for establishing Trump Accounts for children born from 2025 through 2028; and

WHEREAS, conservative policy scholars have proposed further measures, including a pro-marriage baby bonus of $4,000 for married couples and $2,000 for unmarried mothers; and

WHEREAS, Texas, as the nation’s leading conservative state, is positioned to show that pro-family policy is both sound economics and sound morality.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Young Republicans of Texas call on the Governor, the Texas Legislature, state agencies, and our congressional delegation to make Texas the best place in America to marry, have children, and raise a family by adopting the following:

  1. Paid maternal and paternal leave. Guarantee job-protected paid parental leave of at least 8 weeks for mothers recovering from childbirth and at least 4 weeks for fathers and adoptive parents.

  2. Marriage first. Eliminate marriage penalties in Texas benefit programs, study a pro-marriage baby bonus and per-child property tax relief for married parents, and urge Congress to eliminate federal marriage penalties.

  3. Affordable family homes. Remove state and local regulatory barriers, such as permitting delays, that raise the price of family-sized homes.

  4. Marriageable work. Expand career and technical education, apprenticeships, and industry credentials in Texas high schools and community colleges so young men and women can earn a family-supporting wage without a four-year degree.

  5. Family impact. Demand the Texas State Legislature pass laws to further marriage and family formation, and support Trump Accounts and similar tools that build family wealth from birth.

Bibliography

  1. “2026 Platform and Resolutions” (Principles), Republican Party of Texas, 2026, https://texasgop.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/2026-Republican-Party-of-Texas-Platform-As-Approved.pdf

  2. “Saving America by Saving the Family: A Foundation for the Next 250 Years” (Special Report 323), Kevin Roberts and Roger Severino, The Heritage Foundation, January 2026, https://www.heritage.org/sites/default/files/2026-01/SR323.pdf

  3. “Declining Marriage, Not Teen Births, Explains America’s Falling Fertility: What the Latest Data Show,” Rachel Sheffield, The Heritage Foundation, May 26th, 2026, https://www.heritage.org/marriage-and-family/report/declining-marriage-not-teen-births-explains-americas-falling-fertility

  4. “7 Proposals to Make America More Family-Friendly”, American Compass, February 24th, 2021, https://americancompass.org/7-proposals-to-make-america-more-family-friendly/

  5. “Texas State Agency Employees Win Paid Parental Leave, But Which Workers Were Left Out?”, Every Texan, July 31st, 2023, https://everytexan.org/2023/07/31/texas-agency-paid-parental-leave/

  6. “Paid Leave Principles for Congress,” Patrick T. Brown and W. Bradford Wilcox, Institute for Family Studies, October 25th, 2023, https://ifstudies.org/blog/paid-leave-principles-for-congress

  7. “Republicans Need a New Pro-Family Vision,” Abby McCloskey, Institute for Family Studies, October 26th, 2022, https://ifstudies.org/blog/republicans-need-a-new-pro-family-vision

  8. “The Effect of Leave Policies on Increasing Fertility: A Systematic Review,” Thomas, Rowe, Williamson, and Lin, Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 2022, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-022-01270-w

  9. “Trump Accounts: The Defining Policy of America’s 250th Anniversary”, U.S. Department of the Treasury, 2026, https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0372

  10. “Congress Should Pass a Pro-Marriage Baby Bonus,” Patrick T. Brown, Institute for Family Studies, April 30th, 2025, https://ifstudies.org/blog/congress-should-pass-a-pro-marriage-baby-bonus