Sen. Jim Banks: Pro‑Family Policy Is Now Central to Conservatism

The new guard of conservatives is putting family policy first and has an understanding that pro-family policy has a direct correlation to strengthening the economy.

“We have a ripe moment in this new era to advance causes that are really good for families,” Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., said at an event celebrating The Heritage Foundation’s newest policy paper, “Saving America by Saving the Family.” “The federal government has a real role to play here,” he continued.

According to the paper, America is facing a crisis. Fewer than half of U.S. households are headed by a married couple, 40% of children are born outside of marriage, and the fertility rate dropped to a record low in 2024—1.59 births per woman, well below the 2.1 births per woman needed to meet population replacement.

All of these factors have a serious and direct impact on the economy. The more people there are to contribute to the economy and the country, the stronger the nation becomes.

Banks shared that he was always a social conservative, “first concerned about our culture.” But now, he said he knows that these pro-family causes directly impact economic issues.

President Donald Trump has begun to champion these ideas brought forward by The Heritage Foundation, which is asking whether America can be saved by first saving the family. Some of the main concepts in the policy paper have already been put into motion by the federal government, whether through the Trump administration or Congress.

Banks highlighted ideas such as school choice, choice in child care, reforming the inheritance tax, and creating tax-exempt savings accounts for newlyweds. These are ideas that will “encourage younger couples to get married younger, have kids younger, and preserve this spring country as our founders imagine,” he said.

“What is … more important than conserving the family? Child tax credits, I think, kind of opened the door to an understanding that pro-family tax policy and economic policy are critical to protecting and conserving the family. And the family is fundamental to the survival of our country and our American culture,” Banks continued.

“My mom and dad saw the American dream, and I’ve lived the American dream. I’ve seen it. … Marriage is the silver bullet to avoid poverty.”