August 6, 1992 THE PRESIDENT'S MEASURES TO STRENGTHEN FAMILIES Economic Security: o $500 increase in the per child tax exemption. o penalty-free IRA withdrawals for first-time homebuyers. o $5,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers. o Low interest rates, saving families on average over a $1000 per year in mortgage payments. o Landmark Child Care Act that preserves parents choice of child care, in contrast to Democrats who wanted to impose government licensing on care-givers, from friends and relatives to churches and synagogues. The bill also included $31 billion in tax credits and lower tax payments to help low-income families afford child care. Planning for the Future: o permit deduction of interest on student loans o increasing, by more than $500 million, the amount of money available through Pell Grants for middle income families. o HOPE initiative to encourage home ownership and responsibility Requiring Parental Responsibility: o Child Support Enforcement: In 1991 the federal government recovered $6.9 billion in child support payments, more than double what the government recovered in 1986. About $2 billion of the 1991 total went to families receiving welfare. o Increasing the Value of Work: Allowing families on welfare to save more before becoming ineligible for welfare to increase the chance that they will stay off welfare permanently. Strengthening Traditional Family Values o School Choice -- choice for public, private, or religious schools -- so that parents can hold schools accountable for results, and can choose to send their children to schools that emphasize instruction in values. o Supports reasonable restrictions on abortions, for example parental consent for minors and waiting periods. Opposes federal legislation to prevent states from passing some reasonable restrictions on abortion. o Supports voluntary school prayer o Aggressive prosecution of "kiddie porn." Family Security: Law and Order o Appointed 228 tough, law & order judges and prosecutors to keep criminals behind bars. o Assigned 2,400 FBI agents to bust violent criminals and street gangs. o "Weed & Seed" Initiative to reclaim embattled neighborhoods.