Romney's push to revive child tax credit hinges on work requirements

[AZProgressive]

WASHINGTON — Over the past few months, Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, has quietly pushed for a Republican-friendly version of the expanded child tax credit that he hopes could gain bipartisan support.

His proposal would bring back the direct monthly payments many parents used for six months last year to cover the cost of food, clothing and child care before Congress let the tax credit expire.

But Romney's form of extra monthly payments would add stringent work requirements, slash programs that aid vulnerable Americans and make significant changes to the tax code.

While the additional work requirements and the reduced safety net programs could be tough pills for Democrats to swallow — even before they consider the sticky issue of tax reform — a bipartisan bill might be the only way for the expanded child tax credit to land on President Joe Biden's desk.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/romneys-push-revive-child-tax-credit-hinges-work-requirements-rcna16581

[CurtEastPoint]

1. GD entitled fucking freak

[bigtree]

2. +1

[LetMyPeopleVote]

3. White House aides weigh deficit reduction as way to revamp economic plan for Manchin

Deficit reduction for its own sake is a good policy and can be combined with build back better'

Link to tweet

White House aides have in recent days discussed revamping President Biden’s economic package so it would substantially reduce the budget deficit, in an appeal designed to win over Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.), said one administration official and three other people familiar with the matter.

Biden administration officials have been adamant that earlier versions of the Build Back Better proposal — stalled for months largely because of Manchin’s opposition — would be fully paid for and would not add to the deficit. But that argument has not persuaded either Manchin or some of the Washington budget hawks in communication with him. To try to control costs, Democrats had structured several programs in the bill to last only a few years. This would have reduced the headline cost of the legislation even if party officials aimed to later extend those programs. Manchin, though, was unimpressed and dismissed this tactic as a budget gimmick, effectively derailing the whole package.

Hoping to resurrect the legislation, White House officials have in recent days discussed structuring the package so it would meet Manchin’s demands that it reduce the deficit without the measures he regards as gimmicks, a step that would require axing many domestic policy priorities from the bill......

The precise ideas on the table are not clear, and the people familiar with the discussions cautioned that they are preliminary and that no written plan has emerged. White House officials have circulated internally a column by the liberal commentator Matthew Yglesias suggesting that the party could approve $500 billion in climate programs and $400 billion in health-care initiatives — and still unify behind enough tax increases so that the legislation would curb the deficit over 10 years by $800 billion. That kind of bill would probably exclude Biden’s expanded child tax credit, a key priority for fighting childhood poverty, but many Democrats believe that it would be better than the current alternative: passing nothing. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity to reflect administration conversations.

[hatrack]

14. Always good to see photographs of Senator Traffic Cone . . .

[spanone]

4. Of course it is.

heartless bastard

[Nevilledog]

5. Next....you must be employed to get unemployment.

[JohnSJ]

6. From my understanding, hasn't the child tax credit been based on income, and only those who file

taxes?

The pandemic made an exception, but before the pandemic, I think income and filing a tax return was a requirement.

The last paragraph does make a point. Is it better to have something than nothing? It will still benefit some. Unless things are different, if your income was too high you wouldn't qualify for it either.

Until we are in a position to over-ride Manchin and Sinema, and still maintain th majority in the Senate and House, this might be the best we can do right now.

"While the additional work requirements and the reduced safety net programs could be tough pills for Democrats to swallow — even before they consider the sticky issue of tax reform — a bipartisan bill might be the only way for the expanded child tax credit to land on President Joe Biden's desk."

[underpants]

7. Pennies

Compared to the whole budget. F’ing pennies.

[Hoyt]

8. Think we ought to compromise, otherwise all kids suffer.

[questionseverything]

9. No the work requirement leaves the poorest children in poverty

And we don’t even know what he wants changed in the tax code

[Hoyt]

10. Fine, all kids suffer. Agree that some things need to be detailed.

[questionseverything]

11. There is still a child tax credit just the "extended "

N/t

[Hoyt]

12. And I presume Romney is talking about extended credit.

[questionseverything]

15. Yes I am sure he is

It’s just that all the credits aren’t gone ( so all kids aren’t suffering, as you said)

I am fine with compromise but not with agreeing to compromise w/o knowing the details

[Hoyt]

16. Agree. Hopefully it will work out for parents and kids.

[Bettie]

13. Right, he's willing to give the child tax credit back

and to families up to 400k for two parents (that's a big chunk of cash to Mormons with ten or twelve kids), with work requirements AND cuts to SNAP.

Oh, and elimination of TANF (welfare), so if someone loses their job or can't find one, they not only lose their tax credit, they lose any ability to get assistance. So, it's Mitt Romney's Make People Homeless initiative.

Mittens is not to be trusted. Nor are any Republicans.