Van Hollen: Let’s strengthen the Child Tax Credit, but Not at the Expense of the Most Vulnerable Families

Washington, DC – Today Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen, Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, spoke on the House floor about the Child Tax Credit. Below is a transcript of his remarks, and the video is available here.  

“Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

“I strongly support the Child Tax Credit. I support expanding and strengthening the Child Tax Credit. The problem is this bill does just the opposite for the most needy families with kids in the United States. They don’t get a tax cut under this bill. In fact, they get deliberately left behind because this bill fails to extend a critical improvement to the tax credit that’s only currently temporary in law, and they don’t extend that.

“Now, I heard the Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee earlier blaming that, once again, on the President. As if the President made our Republican colleagues not include that provision in their bill. Well, extending the Child Tax Credit is in the President’s budget. Extending the Child Tax Credit is in the House Democratic budget. Extending that Child Tax Credit enhancement is not in the House Republican budget, and that’s why it’s not here today.

“Now, what is the impact of this? The impact is to hurt our low-income families with kids. And as Mr. Levin pointed out earlier, it’s really ironic that just yesterday the Chairman of the Budget Committee gave a big talk in Washington about how he wanted to, quote, start a conversation about poverty and help families get ahead. That was yesterday. Those were words.

“Here we are on the floor of the House today with an actual deed, an actual act, a vote that will put 12 million more Americans into poverty or deeper into poverty, 6 million of them children. Now, the President, in his budget, extends those benefits, those tax strengthening, tax cut provisions and pays for them by getting rid of some of the big tax breaks for corporations. The Republican approach has been just the opposite. In the last six weeks they have permanently extended tax breaks for big corporations, but when it comes to the kids, today, they leave them behind. They don’t extend those enhancements.

“Who are these individuals? Well, let me point out to our colleagues here are the folks that are being left behind. A single mother of two working full-time at minimum wage will lose a tax credit of $1,725. This is an individual making about $15,000 a year. These are the people we are trying to help with the Child Tax Credit. Yes, we’d love to expand it, but not at the expense of this single mom. Who else gets left behind? An Army Private, E1, married, one child, they are going to lose $229 in their Child Tax Credit because this Republican bill refuses to extend those enhancements.

“So, Mr. Speaker, yes let’s strengthen it, but not at the expense of the most vulnerable families. I urge a no vote.”