Washington, D.C. — Today, the overwhelming majority of U.S. Senate Republicans blocked legislation that would expand the child tax credit and provide critical support to America’s low-income families. The bill also contained tax cuts for small businesses and investments in housing supply for low-income renters. In response, Brendan Duke, senior director of economic policy at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
Today’s vote is a gut punch to low-income families struggling to make ends meet. The Senate Republican majority blocking this legislation hinders vital support and resources that can help children thrive.
Expanding the child tax credit would have lifted half a million children out of poverty. The bill already represented a substantial compromise by congressional Democrats, falling well short of the historic American Rescue Plan expansion that cut child poverty almost in half. Senate Republicans’ refusal to enact even this modest child tax credit expansion is a refusal to deliver support to American families that need it the most.
The legislation was fully paid for by ending a widely abused pandemic tax break. Rejecting this legislation, benefits shadowy tax preparers extracting billions from the U.S. Treasury with fraudulent tax claims over low-income families with children, small businesses, and struggling renters.
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