WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., this week joined U.S. Senator Mitt Romney, R-Utah, to urge Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., to remove new tax penalties that would discourage marriage from Democrats’ current reconciliation package. The marriage penalty provisions are included the multi-trillion dollar tax and social spending legislation being written by congressional Democrats.

“Federal policy should be designed to foster strong marriages, which are the foundation of strong families and strong communities,” the senators wrote. “Unfortunately, despite its original rollout as part of the ‘American Families Plan,’ the current draft of the reconciliation bill takes an existing marriage penalty in the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and makes it significantly worse.”

“We believe that marriage is a vital social good. It is misguided and unfair for the government to build bigger barriers for couples to marry,” the senators continued.          

In addition to Wicker, Hyde-Smith, Romney, the letter was signed by 32 other senators including: Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., Roy Blunt, R-Mo., John Boozman, R-Ark., Richard Burr, R-N.C., Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., Bill Cassidy, M.D., R-La., Susan Collins, R-Maine, John Cornyn, R-Texas, Tom Cotton, R-Ark., Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., Steve Daines, R-Mont., Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., John Kennedy, R-La., James Lankford, R-Okla., Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., Roger Marshall, M.D., R-Kan., Jerry Moran, R-Kan., R-Kansas, Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Rob Portman, R-Ohio, Jim Risch, R-Idaho, Mike Rounds, R-S.D., Marco Rubio, R-Fla., Ben Sasse, R-Neb., Tim Scott, R-S.C., John Thune, R-S.D., Thom Tillis, R-N.C., Pat Toomey, R-Pa., and Todd Young, R-Ind.           

Read the letter, which outlines a higher-tax scenario for married couples, here.