A bipartisan bill would put a little more money into the pockets of millions of working families. The Stronger Start for Working Families Act, introduced Sept. 3 by Republican Carol Miller and three colleagues, would lower the refundable child tax credit’s earnings threshold from $2,500 to $1. It remains in the Ways and Means Committee. The proposal raises a larger question: Is Congress buying relief from today’s bills or helping families become more secure over time?
Under the bill, a qualifying parent earning $10,000 could receive about $1,500 instead of $1,125, subject to other limits. The difference comes from applying the existing 15% credit formula to earnings previously excluded. Families without earnings or already receiving the maximum credit would see no change, but supporters estimate 3.5 million families could benefit. A bipartisan Senate version was introduced in January.
