WASHINGTON — The U.S. House voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to approve a $78 billion tax package that would expand the child tax credit and reinstate some tax incentives for businesses.
The 357-70 vote sends the bill, dubbed the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024, to the U.S. Senate, where lawmakers are expected to vote on it at some point, though passage isn’t guaranteed. All 14 North Carolina representatives voted ‘yes’ except for Republican Dan Bishop, who voted ‘no.’
House debate on the 84-page measure was broadly bipartisan, with both Democrats and Republicans backing the agreement between Missouri Republican Rep. Jason Smith, chairman of the House’s tax-writing committee, and his Senate counterpart, Finance Chairman Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat.
Members of both political parties also spoke against the bill, with several far-right lawmakers arguing the expansion of the child tax credit would broaden the “welfare state” and progressive Democrats saying the bill didn’t go far enough to provide relief to low-income and working families.
“Each of these policies will help American business, grow, create jobs and sharpen their competitive edge against China,” Smith said.
The child tax credit expansion, he said, continues provisions that Republicans put into the 2017 tax law they passed during the Trump administration, while updating some of the language.
“We maintain work requirements while enhancing the benefit to support families crushed by today’s inflation and remove the penalty for families with multiple children,” Smith said.
Massachusetts Rep. Richard Neal, the top Democrat on the tax- writing committee, said the expansion of the child tax credit would immediately help 16 million children throughout the country.
“This is not the bill I would have written, but this is sensible policy,” he said of the overall package.
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