Press Releases

Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI) joined the Republican Study Committee and Values Action Team panel, “Marriage and the Government: How Public Policy Undermines Marriage,” to discuss how federal policies create marriage penalties that discourage families from formalizing their households. He emphasized that these policies embedded in the tax code, federal benefits, and other programs not only harm families financially but also weaken social stability. 

The panel featured a distinguished lineup of lawmakers and policy experts, including: 

• Rep. Glenn Grothman

• Rep. Robert Aderholt, Chair, Values Action Team 

• Rep. Mary Miller, Vice Chair, Values Action Team 

• James Gillespie, Special Assistant to the President, White House Legislative Affairs 

• Matt Dickerson, Director of Budget Policy, Economic Policy Innovation Center 

• Terry Schilling, President, American Principles Project 

• Robert Rector, Senior Fellow, Heritage Foundation 

During his remarks, Rep. Grothman highlighted specific examples of how marriage penalties in federal programs, from taxes to student loan benefits, create unnecessary financial disincentives for couples to marry. He also introduced his Student Loan Marriage Penalty Elimination Act, legislation designed to remove these barriers and strengthen families and noted the broad support for reform demonstrated by a coalition letter signed by pro-family organizations urging Congress to include marriage penalty relief in a future reconciliation bill. 

Rep. Grothman stressed that addressing marriage penalties should be a priority for Congress. The discussion included policy solutions and a broader conversation on how lawmakers can remove structural obstacles that discourage marriage while promoting strong, thriving households. 

Watch his full remarks from the panel here: (2) Rep. Glenn Grothman on Marriage Penalties and Family Policy | RSC & VAT Panel - YouTube