The “One Big Beautiful Bill” contains many tax reforms currently being considered by the U.S. Senate, but one provision in particular deserves the support of conservative Christians.
That provision would expand the Child Tax Credit, which both sides of the aisle have long supported as a powerful policy tool to empower families with children.
Parents receive a $2,000 tax credit for each qualifying child under 17, so long as the parent possesses a Social Security number and meets certain work requirements.
The “One Big Beautiful Bill” would boost the Child Tax Credit to $2,500 per child, allowing families to keep more of what they earn in their pockets to help cover the ever-increasing cost of providing for children.
According to an analysis by LendingTree, raising a small child costs Idaho families an additional $21,797 annually. With prices climbing for everything from formula for fussy babies to freezer food for hungry teenagers, families need all the help they can get.
Thankfully, the Child Tax Credit is highly popular, not just with one side of the political aisle.
Although the Child Tax Credit was first proposed by congressional Republicans as part of their Contract With America in 1994, it quickly earned the support of then-President Bill Clinton and his Democratic allies. Since then, it has remained a rare area of bipartisan consensus.
Why does the Child Tax Credit garner such widespread support from policymakers on both sides of the political divide? They understand that every tax dollar collected by the federal government is something working families can’t spend on things like athletic uniforms, piano lessons, or saving for the future.
Expanding the Child Tax Credit may also provide numerous long-term benefits for the next generation, according to a study published by Harvard and Columbia economists. They found that a larger tax credit can “increase students’ probability of college attendance, raise earnings, reduce teenage birth rates, and improve the quality of the neighborhood in which their students live in adulthood.”
Conservatives often say that “strong families make strong nations.” But in our post-COVID inflationary economy, raising a strong family poses unique challenges, and many Americans are discouraged at the prospect.
My wife and I have three beautiful girls, and my oldest daughter is entering first grade this fall. We know the added financial cost of growing our family, but also the incomparable joy parenthood brings.
Working families like ours deserve tax relief, and Congress has the opportunity to make it happen. Expanding the Child Tax Credit will strengthen our national commitment to American families and encourage their flourishing.