SPRINGFIELD, Pa. — GOP Senate candidate Dave McCormick spoke with a toned, policy-focused agenda Wednesday as he revealed his plans to “Strengthen Pennsylvania Families” if elected — even proposing a tax credit for in vitro fertilization as Democrats campaign claiming Republicans would ban it.
“America cannot be strong if our families are weak,” the Gulf War vet told the audience at his Delaware County luncheon. “And if our families are in decline, America will decline.”
McCormick’s stop in “DelCo” came as the fourth leg of his “Building America’s Future” tour, an ambitious trek across the Keystone State to iron out policy proposals. McCormick’s three previous events focused on China, energy policy and “shaking up” Washington.
McCormick repeatedly cited inflation as a major issue contributing to the struggles American families face. Costs for pregnancy and postpartum care, as well as a family’s annual spending on each child, have all risen to five-figure levels and caused birth rates to decline under President Biden and incumbent Democratic Sen. Bob Casey — who McCormick noted has voted with Biden’s position 98% of the time.
Of the specific policies McCormick floated, two stuck out.
First, the former Bridgewater Associates CEO discussed his record of supporting in vitro fertilization for his employees before proposing a $15,000 federal tax credit for families using IVF to have children. The credit would be fully refundable and available for up to two tax years per family.
“As a company, we helped pay for fertility services like IVF, which are often not covered by insurance and can be prohibitively expensive,” McCormick said of his time as Bridgewater’s CEO. “As your senator, I will oppose any effort to restrict IVF. But I’ll go even further than that: Every family should get a $15,000 tax credit for fertility expenses like IVF.”
MATTHEW RINK/ERIE TIMES-NEWS / USA TODAY NETWORK
Second, McCormick called for banning social-media use for those under age 16, arguing the correlation of its use to depression and other mental-health issues among children constitutes a “tipping point” and demands action.
“We need to come together in a bipartisan way to address this crisis and protect children by properly treating kids under 16 as minors needing protection from the harmful effects of social media,” he said.
On other issues, McCormick expressed support for giving families more tax incentives — such as creating tax-free flexible spending accounts for families paying up to $10,000 for child-care costs and encouraging scholarship contributions.
“Eligibility for the FSA would begin in the middle of pregnancy and be available to any family with earnings to fund it — and not be tied to a particular employer,” McCormick said.
He also touted school-choice vouchers as a means of upward mobility for poor children and their families.
“Pennsylvania deserves a senator who supports school choice,” McCormick said, attacking Casey for his support of the teachers unions that kept kids out of school during the pandemic. “Because choosing where your child goes to school should not be a privilege only reserved for wealthy and well-connected parents.”
