The Moral Liberal

by Phyllis Schlafly

The liberals and feminists who are waging war on the institution of marriage have inserted a huge marriage penalty in both health care bills passed by the Senate and House. These bills would set up another federal program to provide financial incentives to subsidize avoiding marriage and having illegitimate children.

Many federal welfare programs discriminate against marriage and instead give taxpayer handouts to those who reject marriage. This isn’t any accident; it is a central part of the Democrats’ political strategy and the reason why 70% of unmarried women voted for Obama for President in 2008. Here is the cost in the House bill for an unmarried couple who each earn $25,000 a year (for a total family income of $50,000). When they both buy health insurance (which will be mandatory), they will pay combined premiums up to $3,076 a year. But if the couple gets married and has the same combined income of $50,000, they will pay annual premiums up to $5,160 a year. That means marriage will cost them a federal penalty of $2,084 a year.

When the Wall Street Journal reporter quizzed the Democratic authors of the health care bill, they made it clear that this marriage penalty was deliberate. The staffer justified the discriminatory treatment because (he said) “you have to decide what your goals are.” Indeed, the Democrats have decided what their goals are. The House staffer told the reporter that the Democrats can’t make the subsidies neutral towards marriage because that would give a traditional one-breadwinner married couple a more generous subsidy than a single parent at the same income level.

Horrors! The Democrats have decided they will not allow traditional marriage to be preferred over couples who just shack up! They want to lock in the votes of unmarried women with taxpayer subsidies.

The Moral Lib­eral con­tribut­ing edi­tor Phyl­lis Schlafly is founder and pres­i­dent of Eagle Forum, a syn­di­cated colum­nist, best­selling author and radio show host.

Used with the per­mis­sion of Eagle Forum.

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