Wisconsin’s sixth district congressman believes addressing marriage penalties needs to be a priority for Congress.
Congressman Glenn Grothman joined six other federal officials at a Republican Study Committee and Values Action Team panel called “Marriage and the Government: How Public Policy Undermines Marriage” to discuss how federal policies create marriage penalties that discourage families from formalizing their households.
Grothman put it bluntly, saying:
“Right now, there is a hatred against married couples and their involvement of marriage. Almost any program you can think of, SNAP, WICK, low-income housing. All of them, and there are a total of 70 programs, penalize a couple for getting married.”
The Glenbeulah Republican says policies embedded in the tax code, federal benefits, and other programs not only harm families financially but also weaken social stability.
The congressman would later introduce a new bill, the Marriage Penalty Elimination Act, to remove barriers and strengthen families.
During the study committee and Value Action Team panel, the group also discussed policy solutions and had broader conversations on how lawmakers can remove structural obstacles that discourage marriage while promoting strong, thriving households.
