April 1, 2003

Blazing the Campaign Trail

Presidential Candidate Sen. Edwards Addresses Family Policies at GW

Presidential hopeful Sen. John Edwards (D–NC) chose the Jack Morton Auditorium in GW’s Media and Public Affairs Building to outline his plan to strengthen American families March 12.

In describing the challenges facing parents today, he outlined an ambitious agenda to strengthen American families, the centerpiece of which is a $2,500 tax credit for new parents so they can afford to spend more time with their children.

Edwards’ plan for American families calls for expanding of quality after-school programs, cracking down on alcohol ads aimed at youths, curbing teen pregnancies, and blocking unwanted E-mail messages that foil anti-pornography filters on the Internet.

“I believe we can do better by America’s families,” Edwards said. “First, we need to give parents more choices at work and more time at home through tax breaks and family leave. Second, we should offer high-quality after-school opportunities for every child who needs somewhere to go. Third, we need to make sure we underscore, not undermine, the good values parents teach. And fourth, we have to demand that both parents take responsibility for their children.

“Before Sept. 11, this administration’s central domestic policy was budget-busting tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. Today, even as the bill for those tax cuts continues to climb, the cost of war is terribly unclear, the litany of unmet domestic security needs remains ignored, and families are struggling to make ends meet, what is the administration’s central domestic policy? Budget-busting tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.”

 

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