SPRINGFIELD, Pa. — Republican Senate candidate Dave McCormick delivered a sober, policy-focused speech Wednesday in which he laid out his plans to “strengthen families in Pennsylvania” if elected. Democrats say Republicans would ban IVF, but McCormick also proposed a tax credit for IVF.
“America cannot be strong if the family is weak,” the Gulf War veteran told a crowd at a luncheon in Delaware County, “and if the family is weak, America will be weak.”
McCormick’s visit to Delco was the fourth leg of his “Building America’s Future” tour, an ambitious journey across the Keystone State to develop policy proposals. McCormick’s previous three events focused on China, energy policy and “shaking up Washington.”
McCormick repeatedly cited inflation as a major cause of hardship facing American families. The cost of pregnancy and postpartum care, as well as the annual expenditures families make per child, have all risen to five-figure levels, contributing to a decline in the birth rate under President Biden and incumbent Democratic Senator Bob Casey, who McCormick said votes with Biden’s positions 98% of the time.
Of the specific policies proposed by McCormick, two stood out.
First, the former Bridgewater Associates CEO talked about his history of helping employees undergo IVF, then proposed a $15,000 federal tax credit for families who have children through IVF, which would be fully refundable and available for up to two tax years per family.
“As a company, we have helped pay for fertility services like IVF, which are often not covered by insurance and are prohibitively expensive,” McCormick said of his time as Bridgewater’s CEO. “As a senator, I would oppose any efforts to restrict IVF. But beyond that, I believe every family should have a $15,000 tax credit for the costs of fertility treatments like IVF.”
Matthew Link/Erie Times-News/USA Today Network
Second, McCormick called for a ban on social media use by anyone under the age of 16, arguing that the correlation between social media use and depression and other mental health issues in children constitutes a “tipping point” and demands action.
“We need to work together in a bipartisan manner to address this crisis and protect children under 16 by treating them as minors who need protection from the harmful effects of social media,” he said.
On other issues, McCormick expressed support for giving more tax benefits to families, such as creating tax-free flexible spending accounts for families paying up to $10,000 in child care costs and encouraging scholarship donations.
“FSA eligibility begins in the second trimester, is available to any family with sufficient income and is not tied to a specific employer,” McCormick said.
He also advocated for school choice vouchers as an aspirational tool for poor children and their families.
“Pennsylvania needs a senator who supports school choice,” McCormick said, blasting Casey for backing teachers unions that kept kids in schools during the pandemic, “because the right to choose which school your child attends shouldn’t be a privilege reserved for only the wealthy and well-connected parents.”
