For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
October 3, 2003
Marriage Protection Week, 2003
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Marriage is a sacred institution, and its protection is essential to the continued strength of our society. Marriage Protection Week
provides an opportunity to focus our efforts on preserving the sanctity
of marriage and on building strong and healthy marriages in America.
Marriage is a union between a man and a woman, and my
Administration is working to support the institution of marriage by
helping couples build successful marriages and be good parents.
To encourage marriage and promote the well-being of children, I
have proposed a healthy marriage initiative to help couples develop the
skills and knowledge to form and sustain healthy marriages. Research
has shown that, on average, children raised in households headed by
married parents fare better than children who grow up in other family
structures. Through education and counseling programs, faith-based,
community, and government organizations promote healthy marriages and a
better quality of life for children. By supporting responsible
child-rearing and strong families, my Administration is seeking to
ensure that every child can grow up in a safe and loving home.
We are also working to make sure that the Federal Government does
not penalize marriage. My tax relief package eliminated the marriage
penalty. And as part of the welfare reform package I have proposed, we
will do away with the rules that have made it more difficult for
married couples to move out of poverty.
We must support the institution of marriage and help parents build
stronger families. And we must continue our work to create a
compassionate, welcoming society, where all people are treated with
dignity and respect.
During Marriage Protection Week, I call on all Americans to join me
in expressing support for the institution of marriage with all its
benefits to our people, our culture, and our society.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States
of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution
and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim the week of October
12 through October 18, 2003, as Marriage Protection Week. I call upon
the people of the United States to observe this week with appropriate
programs, activities, and ceremonies.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this third day of
October, in the year of our Lord two thousand three, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
twenty-eighth.
GEORGE W. BUSH
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