More headlines: George W. Bush on Families & Children

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New relief plans focus on the American family

Accelerate marriage penalty relief by increasing the standard deduction and expanding the 15-percent tax bracket for couples in 2003. An estimated 45 million married couples will benefit.
Raise the child tax credit from $600 to $1,000 per child this year, instead of in the year 2010. An estimated 34 million families with children will benefit
Move several million working Americans into the lower 10-percent tax bracket immediately, allowing them to keep more of their income.

Source: 2004 Presidential website, georgewbush.com Aug 29, 2003

Solution to Columbine: Love your neighbor like yourself

BUSH: [Gore] says we ought to have gun-free schools. Everybody believes that. I’m sure every state in the union’s got them. You can’t carry a gun into a school. And there ought to be a consequence when you do carry a gun into a school. But Columbine spoke to a larger issue and it’s really a matter of culture, it’s a culture that somewhere along the line we’ve begun to disrespect life. Where a child can walk in and have their heart turn dark as a result of being on the Internet and decide to take somebody else’s life. Gun laws are important, no question about it. But so is loving children and character education classes and faith-based programs being a part of afterschool programs. This society has got to do a better job of teaching children right from wrong. And we can enforce law, but there’s a larger law: Love your neighbor like you’d like to be loved yourself. And that’s where our society must head if we’re going to be a peaceful and prosperous society. Source: Presidential Debate at Wake Forest University Oct 11, 2000

Support measures to keep children in their homes

Bush would provide states an additional $1 billion over five years for preventative services to keep children in their homes whenever safely possible. Bush will also require states to conduct criminal background checks on prospective foster and adoptive parents. Bush defines “permanence” for children in the child welfare system as returning to a safe and stable biological family or, when a judge deems that impossible, finalized adoption. Source: “Help for Families & Children”, part of “Renewing America” Jul 11, 2000

Bush establishes standards for Texas child care workers

child care funding increased by $360 million or 88% (state and federal funding, FY 1994-1995 biennium compared to FY 2000-01 biennium).
Bush signed legislation requiring special training for individuals working with small children.
Bush signed legislation establishing a loan assistance program to help child care workers repay eligible student loans. Recipients must have a degree in early childhood development and must agree to serve for at least 2 years.
Bush signed legislation providing scholarships up to $1,000 for individuals working on their professional certification or associates degree in child development.
In addition to dramatic increases in funding for low-income child care and pre-kindergarten programs, Bush proposed and the Texas Legislature approved $25 million in new funding for an after school program targeting middle school children at risk of academic failure.

Source: Press Release, “Increased Child Care Funding” Jun 7, 2000

Texas Fatherhood Initiative: help communities help fathers

Bush said, “We’re working [in Texas] to mobilize every sector of our society-community leaders and faith-based groups, educators and the media-to increase public awareness of the consequences to children when fathers are absent. Every man needs to know that he will never have a greater duty or more important title than dad.”

Create a Texas fatherhood public education campaign to heighten awareness of the critical role fathers play in ensuring the well-being of children and communities.
Conduct a series of local fatherhood forums so that community leaders can develop strategic plans.
Establish a Texas Fatherhood Resource Center to help community-based organizations and employers’ groups.
Help develop a seed grant program to help community-based groups launch or expand innovative local projects that promote and support responsible fatherhood.

Source: Press Release, “National Summit On Fatherhood” Jun 2, 2000

Being called “Dad” means taking responsibility

“There is no more important mission in life than to love and care for a child,” Bush said. “One of our society’s greatest challenges is to make sure that more of America’s children are raised by loving mothers and dads in loving homes,” Bush continued. “In my state of Texas we recently launched the Texas Fatherhood Initiative,” Bush concluded. “We’re working to mobilize every sector of our society--community leaders and faith-based groups, educators and the media--to increase public awareness of the consequences to children when fathers are absent. And we are reaching out to individual men. We want to send this clear message-every child deserves a father who is committed, not just legally and financially, but emotionally; an active, loving, present father. Every man needs to know that no matter how lofty his job or position, he will never have a greater duty or more important title than dad.“ Source: Press Release, “National Summit on Fatherhood” Jun 2, 2000

For tough juvenile justice laws

Each of us is responsible for the decisions we make in life. The old [juvenile justice] code used to say if you commit a crime it is not your fault, it is our fault. The new code recognizes that discipline and love go hand in hand. Our new juvenile justice code says there will be bad consequences for bad behavior in the state of Texas. We want you to understand you are responsible for the decisions you make in life. It’s called tough love. Source: Right Choices for Youth Conf., Austin TX Mar 31, 1999

Suspend licenses if child support is unpaid

Texas must hold parents responsible for supporting their children.We should require mothers to identify the fathers of their children before receiving welfare benefits.We should suspend licenses issued to those who do not pay court-ordered child support: driver’s license, doctor’s license, lawyer’s license and even hunting & fishing licenses. Skeptics say, “Governor, if you take away our licenses, we won’t be able to earn a living to pay child support.” To those parents, I have a simple response: Pay up. Source: 1995 State of the State Address, Austin TX Feb 7, 1995

Federal studies & grants for abstinence programs

Bush’s battle plan against premarital sex also includes an end “to hostile regulations and bureaucratic rules” that deter religious groups from seeking federal grants for abstinence programs, and a long-term study to measure the effectiveness of all abstinence programs. Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution Jun 22, 1999

Emphasize sexual abstinence for teens

We have an aggressive $5 million-a-year abstinence program to teach young people that the rewards of abstinence far outweigh the risks of sex. With the twin epidemics of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, our children must know that abstinence isn’t just saying no to sex, abstinence is saying yes to a happier and healthier life. Abstinence is 100 percent safe, 100 percent effective, 100 percent of the time. Source: Right Choices for Youth Conf., Austin TX Mar 31, 1999

Troubled by use of force in Elian case

Bush criticized the decision to use force to transfer custody of Elian Gonzalez to his father early today. Bush said the photograph of the frightened boy being “removed from his home at gunpoint” was “chilling” and “not an image a freedom-loving nation wants to show the world.” Bush said, “I am profoundly saddened and troubled that the administration was not able to negotiate a resolution, and instead decided to use force to take a little boy from the place he calls home in the middle of the night.” Source: Don Van Natta, New York Times, p. 14 on 2000 election Apr 23, 2000

Use Florida courts for Elian, not middle-of-the-night raids

When Elian’s mother gave her life to bring her son to the land of the free, she could not have possibly dreamed that it would have come to this. Ours is a nation of laws, not guns. Custody disputes are resolved in the calm of a courtroom, not in the terror of middle-of-the-night raids. The Clinton-Gore administration says it was enforcing the law and had no alternative. But the law clearly gives the Attorney General the authority to have Elian’s custody determined by a Florida family court, a court that exists to protect the best interests of children. All sides have claimed to be acting in Elian’s best interests, but surely no one can argue that taking a young boy at gunpoint is in his best interests. The INS initially recommended that a Florida family court determine custody of Elian, and the administration should have followed that legal and responsible course. The moral authority of our law comes from the understanding it will be applied in a fair and measured way. Source: Press Release Apr 22, 2000

Decide Elian’s case in Florida courts, not federal

The nation waits for the Clinton administration to take the next step in sending Elian Gonzalez [the 6-year-old boy who has been in America since his mother drowned while escaping by sea] back to Cuba. Bush has said that Elian’s fate should be decided by Florida’s family courts, which would probably be far more sympathetic to the relatives in Miami who want to keep the boy. Source: Katharine Seelye, New York Times, p. A21 on 2000 election Mar 30, 2000

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