State of Iowa Archives: on Families & Children
Abby Finkenauer:
Better access to child care as infrastructure investment
[On social infrastructure]: "In 2020, Republicans spent millions of dollars to try and make sure that somebody like me--who went to Washington, who voted for pay raises for Americans, who voted for better access to child care, who voted for the
best infrastructure investment that our country had ever seen--couldn't get back to Washington," she said. "They don't want people like me there--folks who understand working families and aren't afraid to fight for them."
Source: Des Moines Register on 2022 Iowa Senate race
Jul 22, 2021
Alan Keyes:
Shape our children’s consciences in the fear of God
Q: How would you interrupt this culture of violence? A: The first thing we have to do is restore this country’s allegiance to its basic moral principles. We express great shock and outrage that we are bloodying the hallways of our schools with the blood
of our children. What about the blood of our children killed in the womb on the basis of a doctrine that completely rejects the basic
principles on which this nation was founded? If our rights come from God, then we ought to shape our children’s consciences in the fear of God. And I think that what we’re seeing in our
schools is the direct result of our failure to respect that heritage and to pass it on.
Source: Des Moines Iowa GOP Debate
Dec 13, 1999
Andy McGuire:
Time for state Family/Medical Leave Act
As a mother of seven, I know the challenges of raising a family while balancing a career. When I gave birth to my second child, Hugh, I had to be back at work just three days later. This scenario happens all too often and extra time off from work is
an expensive luxury when there is no paycheck attached to the extra time at home.I think this is wrong, and it's time to finally have paid family and medical leave for all Iowans.
Source: 2018 Iowa governor campaign website McGuireForGovernor.com
Jul 2, 2016
Barack Obama:
Restore dream of making children’s lives better than parents
Q: A recent report found that middle class black families were not able to carry their children into the American middle class; many had fallen out of the middle class and into poverty. What can the president do?A: One of the reasons that I’m running
for president is that the American dream has always meant that if you worked hard if you invested in your children then their lives could be better than yours. And that dream that so many generations fought for feels like it’s slipping away, not just for
African Americans increasingly but for all Americans. And so what do we need to do? We have to have a tax system that’s fair. I will take away tax breaks from company’s that are shipping jobs overseas and put tax breaks in the pockets of hardworking
Americans who deserve it. We’ve got to invest in education. If we can invest and understand that this is a crisis that doesn’t just effect black and brown people but all of America I’m confident that we can make a big difference.
Source: 2007 Iowa Brown & Black Presidential Forum
Dec 1, 2007
Bernie Sanders:
Guaranteed child care: Age 0 to 4 are most important years
Q: Will you universal childcare program be free for everyone regardless of income?SANDERS: Yeah. Every psychologist in the world knows zero through 4 are the most important years of human life, intellectually and emotionally. And yet our current
childcare system is an embarrassment, it is unaffordable. Childcare workers are making wages lower than McDonald's workers. We need to fundamentally change priorities in America.
We should not be one of a few countries that does not have universal high-quality affordable childcare. We should not be one of the only major countries not to guarantee health care to all people as a human right. We should not be spending more than the
10 next countries on the military, hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies for the fossil fuel industry, tax breaks for billionaires, and then tell the moms and dads in this country we cannot have high-quality affordable childcare.
Source: 7th Democrat primary debate, on eve of Iowa caucus
Jan 14, 2020
Cathy Glasson:
Proud of Iowa's marriage equality but work still to be done
I'm proud that Iowa was the fourth state in the nation to recognize marriage equality and that we have a strong LGBTQ community. We've made big strides over the years in preserving and advancing equality, but our bold progressive movement knows there is
still work to be done. In Iowa, we must ban conversion therapy. It is dangerous and widely discredited by major medical practitioners and organizations. It has no place in Iowa law. I will fight to stop it as Iowa's next Governor.
Source: 2018 Iowa gubernatorial candidate website CathyGlasson.com
May 2, 2018
Cathy Glasson:
#1 job of governor is to raise family's standard of living
The number one job of a Governor is to raise people's standard of living. For nearly a third of our families, Iowa really isn't working. 381,000 households are struggling to pay their bills because two-thirds of the jobs pay less than $20 an hour.
Parents working 2 and 3 low-wage jobs are still scrambling to come up with $900 each month for childcare, to pay the rent or mortgage, to put food on the table and gas in the car. If you have a health condition on top of that, good luck.
Source: Huffington Post on 2018 Iowa Governor race
Aug 5, 2017
Chuck Grassley:
Foster adoptions and permanent homes for kids
From his key committee assignments in the U.S. Senate, Chuck Grassley works to strengthen the American family by encouraging work and personal responsibility, and fostering adoptions and permanent homes for kids.Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the
Committee on Finance, today said he will act on the findings of a new report to make sure federal programs work well to promote the adoption of special needs children.
"Federal adoption assistance and adoption incentive programs need to work as well
as they possibly can," Grassley said. "They're a means to an important end, and that's permanent homes for children. Today's findings show that these programs are helping, but we have to do more. I'll work to help make these programs 100 percent
effective. It's a no-brainer to protect children's welfare."
Grassley was a lead requester of a report from the Government Accountability Office, which he released today at an event with adopted youth, including an Iowan, Sean Maudlin of Indianola.
Source: Vote-USA.org on 2010 Iowa Senate incumbents
Nov 28, 2010
Cindy Axne:
Make changes to Child Tax Credit permanent
Axne is co-sponsoring legislation to keep changes made to the Child Tax Credit (CTC) in the American Rescue Plan and make additional improvements to support millions of working families with children struggling to make ends meet.
The American Family Act would make the changes in the American Rescue Plan permanent as well as index the credits to inflation.
Source: 2022 Iowa Gubernatorial campaign website axne.house.gov
Apr 15, 2021
Cindy Axne:
Double amount allowed for dependent care assistance plans
I firmly believe improving access to safe, affordable child care will make a difference in keeping Iowa on a pathway to full recovery. Recently, Sen. Joni Ernst and I introduced the Improving Child Care for Working Families Act to expand Iowa families'
ability to pay for child care expenses. The legislation would more than double the amount of money families can place in dependent care assistance plans, which will allow families to better keep up with the rising cost of child care.
Source: Indianola Independent-Advocate on 2022 Iowa Senate race
Apr 4, 2021
Gary Bauer:
Columbine resulted from our undermining the sanctity of life
Eric & Dylan [the Columbine shooters] violated 17 gun laws that day. The deeper question is why did two boys do to fellow human beings, what would be impossible to imagine an American child doing to cats or dogs. What did we do that so undermined
the sanctity of life, that you could raise a couple of kid with such empty hearts? Part of it is that we undermine the sanctity of life by telling our children that they've got a constitutional right to take innocent human life if it's in their way.
Source: Des Moines Iowa GOP Debate
Dec 13, 1999
George W. Bush:
Appropriate to draw a moral line for children
Some people think it's inappropriate to draw a moral line. Not me. For our children to have the lives we want for them, they must learn to say yes to responsibility, yes to family, yes to honesty and work. What can be done? We can give schools and
principals more authority to discipline children. We must encourage states to reform their juvenile justice laws. We must say to our children, "We love you, but discipline and love go hand in hand, and there will be bad consequences for bad behavior."
Source: Candidacy Announcement speech, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Jun 12, 1999
Hillary Clinton:
Struggling families are invisible to Bush administration
Hillary Clinton: As I travel around America, I hear from so many people who feel like they're just invisible to their governmentVoice-over Announcer: Hillary Clinton has spent her life standing up for people others don't see.
Hillary Clinton:
You know, if you're a family that is struggling, and you don't have health care well you are invisible to this President. If you're a single mom trying to find affordable child care so you can go to work, well you're invisible too.
And I never thought I would see that our soldiers who serve in Iraq and Afghanistan would be treated as though they were invisible as well.
Hillary: Americans from all walks of life across our country may be invisible to this President, but they're not invisible to me and they won't be invisible to the next President of the United States.
Source: AdWatch: 2007 TV advertisement in Iowa
Aug 13, 2007
John McCain:
Unfiltered Internet robs our children of their innocence
We parents should know what our children are seeing. I can't tell you that I always know what my children are watching. I can't tell you exactly what they're seeing when they go to the mall. It's my responsibility
[so] when we're wiring every school and library with the Internet, each should have filtering software to filter out that stuff. We need to know why we're robbing our children of the most precious treasure, and that's their innocence.
Source: Des Moines Iowa GOP Debate
Dec 13, 1999
Joni Ernst:
COVID: opposed paid sick leave
Q: Opinion on COVID policy?Joni Ernst: Supports direct payments, tax credits for caregivers of adult dependents. Helped secure $383 million for Iowa hospitals and medical centers through CARES Act. Opposed paid sick leave.
Theresa Greenfield: Politicians bailed out big corporate donors and opposed paid sick leave. Prioritize "urgent economic relief to working families and small businesses," not large companies. Expand benefits for laid-off workers.
Joni Ernst: Praised vaccine investments and support of food supply chain. Said doctors may be exaggerating numbers of COVID-related deaths to secure higher reimbursements.
Theresa Greenfield: "It's unacceptable that politicians in
Washington ignored warning signs and downplayed COVID-19 to the public." Need to "dramatically" ramp up manufacturing and distribution of vital medical supplies, support rural hospitals with help of military.
Source: CampusElect on 2020 Iowa Senate race
Oct 10, 2020
Kim Reynolds:
Sexual harassment has been a stain on our culture
I want to talk about something that has captured the attention of the entire nation. Throughout history, sexual harassment has been a stain on our culture, a destructive force--in politics, media and entertainment, in workplaces large and small--in all
facets of life. And it must stop.I commend the number of women who have found the courage to speak out. As a woman, a mother of three girls, a grandmother, wife, sister, and daughter, I understand we're at an unprecedented moment in time.
I also understand that this is not a partisan issue. It can't be fixed by legislation or rule-making alone. You cannot legislate kindness or respect or morality. They must be taught.
And that means the solution starts with every individual, man or woman. It's about showing respect to others. It's about character and decency. And it's about changing the culture once and for all.
Source: 2018 State of the State speech to Iowa legislature
Jan 9, 2018
Kim Reynolds:
Expand Early Childhood tax credits
Childcare is the next workforce issue we need to tackle. Let's make childcare more affordable by expanding Early Childhood tax credits. Currently, they are available to families making $45,000 or less; I'm recommending that be doubled to $90,000.
We must begin to address the child-care cliff so we are not punishing parents as they continue on a path to self-sufficiency. To do this, we should implement a tiered co-pay system that doesn't punish those who work hard enough to earn a raise.
Source: 2020 Iowa State of the State address
Jan 14, 2020
Kim Reynolds:
Awarded grants creating 4,000 new childcare spots
But barriers to work still exist, including the need for childcare. That's also a national issue but, contrary to what some in D.C. believe, there isn't a national solution. In Iowa we've taken a bottom up approach. Last legislative session we created
the Childcare Challenge, a program where providers apply for grants that fit the needs of their communities. It's already paying off. In less than a year, we've awarded grants that will create 4,000 new childcare spots across the state.
Source: 2022 State of the State Address to the Iowa legislature
Jan 11, 2022
Michele Bachmann:
Bible's "be submissive to husband" means mutual respect
Q: In 2006, when you were running for Congress, you described a moment in your life when your husband said you should study for a degree in tax law. You said you hated the idea. And then you explained, "But the Lord said, 'Be submissive.
Wives, you are to be submissive to your husbands.'" As president, would you be submissive to your husband?A: Marcus and I will be married for 33 years this September 10th. I'm in love with him.
And what submission means to us, it means respect. I respect my husband. He's a wonderful, godly man, and a great father. And he respects me as his wife. That's how we operate our marriage. We respect each other. We love each other. And
I've been so grateful that we've been able to build a home together. We have five wonderful children and 23 foster children. We've built a business together and a life together And I'm very proud of him.
Source: Iowa Straw Poll 2011 GOP debate in Ames Iowa
Aug 11, 2011
Mitt Romney:
Kids working in libraries is fine; don't change labor laws
ROMNEY: Speaker Gingrich said that he would like to eliminate in some cases the child labor laws so that kids could clean schools. I don't agree with that idea.GINGRICH: I think virtually every person up here worked at a young age. What
I suggested was, kids ought to be allowed to work part-time in school, particularly in the poorest neighborhoods, both because they could use the money. Janitors who are unionized are paid more than the teachers. You take half of those janitors, you
could give lots of poor kids a work experience in the cafeteria and the school library and front office. I'll stand by the idea, young people ought to learn how to work. Middle class kids do it routinely. We should give poor kids the same chance to
pursue happiness.
ROMNEY: To have kids work in the library and to help out in school and to clean the blackboards does not require changing our child labor laws in this country. We of course should encourage more kids to [do that].
Source: Yahoo's "Your Voice Your Vote" debate in Iowa
Dec 10, 2011
New Testament:
Wives, you are to be submissive to your husbands
Q: In 2006, when you were running for Congress, you described a moment in your life when your husband said you should study for a degree in tax law. You said you hated the idea. And then you explained, "But the Lord said, 'Be submissive.
Wives, you are to be submissive to your husbands.'" As president, would you be submissive to your husband?A: Marcus and I will be married for 33 years this September 10th. I'm in love with him.
And what submission means to us, it means respect. I respect my husband. He's a wonderful, godly man, and a great father. And he respects me as his wife. That's how we operate our marriage. We respect each other. We love each other. And
I've been so grateful that we've been able to build a home together. We have five wonderful children and 23 foster children. We've built a business together and a life together And I'm very proud of him.
Source: Iowa Straw Poll 2011 GOP debate in Ames Iowa
Aug 11, 2011
Newt Gingrich:
Let poor kids work so they learn like middle class
ROMNEY: Speaker Gingrich said that he would like to eliminate in some cases the child labor laws so that kids could clean schools. I don't agree with that idea.GINGRICH: I think virtually every person up here worked at a young age. What
I suggested was, kids ought to be allowed to work part-time in school, particularly in the poorest neighborhoods, both because they could use the money. If you take 1/2 of the New York janitors who are unionized and paid more than the teachers, an
entry-level janitor gets paid twice as much as an entry-level teacher. You take half of those janitors, you could give lots of poor kids a work experience in the cafeteria and the school library and front office. I'll stand by the idea, young people
ought to learn how to work. Middle class kids do it routinely. We should give poor kids the same chance to pursue happiness.
ROMNEY: To have kids work in the library does not require changing our child labor laws in this country.
Source: Yahoo's "Your Voice Your Vote" debate in Iowa
Dec 10, 2011
Pete Buttigieg:
It makes no sense to spend 2/3 of income on childcare
It makes no sense for childcare to cost two-thirds of somebody's income. We've to drive it to 7 percent or below, and zero for those families who are living in poverty.But this is happening to folks at every level of the income spectrum.
I meet professionals who sometimes say that they're working in order to be able to afford childcare in order to be able to be working. It makes no sense, and it must change, and we shouldn't be afraid to put federal dollars into making that a reality.
Subsidizing childcare and making sure that we are building up a workforce of people who are paid at a decent level to offer early childhood education, as well as childcare writ large. We can do that.
And until we do, this will be one of the biggest
drivers of the gender pay gap. Because when somebody like the voter asking the question has to step out of the workforce because of that reason, she is at a disadvantage when she comes back in, and that can affect her pay for the rest of her career.
Source: 7th Democrat primary debate, on eve of Iowa caucus
Jan 14, 2020
Rick Santorum:
Promote the family as economic anchor point
I grew up in a very modest home and was very blessed to have all my basic needs met. And one of the most basic needs was that I was blessed to have a mother and a father. That was the most important gift that I was given, that I had two parents who were
together, who loved me, who supported me and made me feel safe. And made the little things feel like luxuries because I had that sense of security.Unfortunately, we see the family continuing to break down. And with that, the economic status of those
families. Single-parent households in America now have poverty levels approaching 40%. What we can do as a federal government, [is] to try to promote this institution of marriage.
Try to promote the family and make sure that families are elevated and supported and fathers and mothers are there to take care of their families and be there for their children. That's the most important luxury, is a mom and a dad.
Source: Yahoo's "Your Voice Your Vote" debate in Iowa
Dec 10, 2011
Sam Brownback:
Highest priority is rebuilding the family
Q: What will you restore to the Oval Office?A: Rebuilding the family. You know, in Washington DC, right now, 63% of the children are born out of wedlock. Nationwide, the number is 36%. You can raise a good child in that setting,
but it gets more difficult. The best place is between a mom and a dad bonded together for life. I would stand for life. And I would appoint the next justice I hope would be the voting decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Source: 2007 GOP Iowa Straw Poll debate
Aug 5, 2007
Ted Cruz:
Opposes the unrelenting assault on traditional marriage
Sen. Ted Cruz cast himself as a leading Republican opponent of same-sex marriage during an appearance before a crowd of evangelical Christians in Des Moines. Cruz described the ongoing shift toward legal recognition for gay couples as an "unrelenting
assault on traditional marriage," and castigated judges who have struck down prohibitions for "ignoring their oaths, ignoring the Constitution and legislating from the bench."The issue is one that Cruz said distinguishes him from other potential
candidates in what looks to be a crowded 2016 presidential field. While others have de-emphasized or dropped altogether their opposition to same-sex marriage, he said, he would continue to make it a priority.
Cruz delivered his speech to a crowd of about 200 Iowa religious leaders and their spouses behind closed doors in a hotel ballroom in Des Moines.
Source: Des Moines Register on 2015 Iowa Ag Summit
Mar 9, 2015
Ted Cruz:
Defend Judeo-Christian values against liberal fascism
Cruz said Democrats had gone to extremes in their persecution of Christians: "Today's Democratic Party has decided there is no room for Christians in today's Democratic Party. There is a liberal fascism that is going after Christian believers," Cruz
said. "It is heartbreaking," Cruz argued. "But it is so extreme, it is waking people up.""We need leaders who will stand unapologetically in defense of the Judeo-Christian values upon which America was built," he concluded.
Source: TheHill weblog on 2015 Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition summit
Apr 25, 2015
Terry Branstad:
Judicial discretion in releasing individual juvenile records
Currently, juvenile delinquency records are public records meaning that a minor theft or minor drug possession can haunt a person for the rest of their life. We must examine whether these policies are truly protecting the public,
or simply blocking a path to future career success for impacted Iowans. These records should remain confidential unless a judge specifically finds that disclosure is in the best interest of the child and the public.
Source: 2016 State of the State speech to Iowa legislature
Jan 12, 2016
Tom Hoefling:
Reform divorce laws to increase waiting period
Question topic: Where minor children are involved, divorce laws should be reformed to include mutual consent of both parents and an increased waiting period, unless there is fault or abuse.
Hoefling: Strongly Agree
Source: Faith2Action iVoterGuide on 2013 Iowa Gubernatorial campaign
Jul 2, 2014
Page last updated: Feb 18, 2023