CNA\/EWTN News<\/a>).- A strong national economy requires strong families, supported by both government and the broader community, said Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) in a recent policy speech.<\/p>\n\t\u201cToo often in modern politics, debates about our values have been viewed as either wedges to win elections or unnecessary distractions to be avoided,\u201d Rubio said during a July 23 talk at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. \u00a0<\/p>\n
\t\u201cBut the truth is that the social and moral wellbeing of our people has a direct and consequential impact on their economic wellbeing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tRubio, who has been viewed as a potential Republican candidate for the 2016 presidential election, told CNA on July 23 that he and his family have been prayerfully considering a run for presidential office.<\/p>\n
\tHe explained in his talk that in his own life, the strong marriage of his parents and the moral values they taught him \u201cgave me an enormous advantage in life,\u201d despite being poor immigrants.<\/p>\n
\tHowever, the senator noted, social mores around the country are being challenged and uprooted, as seen in the national decline of marriage and the increasing number of children being raised in single parent homes.<\/p>\n
\tThe country is paying a \u201cstaggering\u201d economic price for this erosion, he said, pointing to high unemployment levels, dropout rates, poverty and low upward mobility as symptoms affecting children born into these conditions.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cSocietal breakdown is not a problem that the government alone can solve, but it is also not one the government can afford to ignore,\u201d Rubio stated.<\/p>\n
\tHe said that political leaders need to \u201cpublicly recognize the link between our social wellbeing and our economic wellbeing,\u201d and to put into place policies that help support education, job security, marriage and two parent homes, as well as help struggling families reach these goals.<\/p>\n
\tAs an example, he cited his proposed child tax credit as a way of helping \u201csingle parents, many of whom are doing a heroic job of raising their children by themselves,\u201d as well as other programs to help children find placement in better schools and receive the higher education and skills necessary to enter the workforce.<\/p>\n
\tThe senator also called for the elimination of \u201cpolicies and programs that punish marriage\u201d under the current tax code, and more flexible overtime and work leave policies that would enable parents to spend more time with their families.<\/p>\n
\tSpeaking about marriage, Rubio said the United States should \u201cacknowledge that our history is marred by discrimination against gays and lesbians.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\u201cThere was once a time when the federal government not only banned the hiring of gay employees, it required private contractors to identify and fire them,\u201d he said. \u201cSome laws prohibited gays from being served in bars and restaurants. And many cities carried out law enforcement efforts targeting gay Americans.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tOvercoming such discrimination is laudable, Rubio said. However, this does not change the time-tested truth that children fare best when raised by \u201ca mother and a father committed to one another.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tThis \u201cspecial relationship\u201d of marriage, he said, \u201chas proven to be of great benefit to our society, our nation and our people, and therefore deserves to be elevated in our laws.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tAffirming his own views in defense of marriage, he noted that state legislatures have a constitutional right to regulate the institution of marriage and called for respect among those on both sides of the issue, criticizing high profile displays of \u201cintolerance towards those who continue to support traditional marriage.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\u201cThis intolerance in the name of tolerance is hypocrisy,\u201d he said, observing that until recently, the president himself professed views that are now labeled \u201cbigotry.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tOn the topic of abortion, Rubio said that the unborn have \u201ccertain inalienable rights, primarily the right to live\u201d and \u201cshould be welcomed into life and protected in law.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tHowever, he added, it is also important for a humane society to address the factors that contribute to abortion and \u201ctake tangible steps to help women with unwanted pregnancies even as that society defends an unborn child\u2019s right to live.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tUltimately, the senator said, politics is simply one piece in a larger community response to rebuilding a strong society by promoting marriage, family, education and jobs.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cWe will never improve our people\u2019s economic wellbeing without also improving their moral and social wellbeing,\u201d he stressed, adding that while politics is important, the \u201cultimate responsibility for our social wellbeing rests on us as a people.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\u201cWhat we do as parents, neighbors and members of a church, a charity or community will often have a greater impact on our nation\u2019s future than what we do as voters or even as a senator,\u201d he emphasized.<\/p>\n
\t\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Washington D.C., Jul 25, 2014 \/ 06:16 am (CNA\/EWTN News).- A strong national economy requires strong families, supported by both government and the broader community, said Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) in a recent policy speech.<\/p>\n
\t“Too often in m…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1031,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7045","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-us"],"yoast_head":"\n
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