The Heritage Foundation, the right-wing think tank behind Project 2025, has released a paper urging the US government to promote heterosexual marriage and procreation through policies including marriage 'boot camps', tax credits, and infrastructure incentives. The paper, titled 'Saving America by Saving the Family', warns that declining marriage and birth rates could lead to economic and moral collapse.
Among the proposals is a Department of Health and Human Services initiative to collaborate with local nonprofits and churches to provide marriage 'bootcamps' covering communication, money management, fidelity, and blended families, culminating in a 'communal wedding'. The paper also suggests Congress offer generous tax credits to families with three or more children, and provide newlyweds under 30 with a $2,500 investment account.
The document advocates for policies that favour traditional gender roles and religious values, including making divorce more difficult by pushing back on no-fault divorce and making 50-50 child custody the default. It also recommends reducing government assistance for single parents through work requirements and capping alimony, while cautioning against online dating, pornography, and IVF, which the authors argue contributes to the destruction of embryos.
Other suggestions include prioritising federal grants to areas with higher marriage and birth rates, eliminating rent-controlled housing, and promoting a universal 'day of rest' to bolster religious freedom. A draft appendix, obtained by the Washington Post, includes more controversial ideas such as giving parents an extra half vote per child, banning pornography, restoring school prayer, and challenging same-sex marriage.
