House Approves Bipartisan Tax Package, Expands Child Credit
Do you support the deal? Let your reps know.
Updated Feb. 2, 2024, 4:00 p.m. EST
- The House approved a bipartisan tax package that includes a $33 billion temporary expansion on child tax credit for three years, along with tax breaks for businesses and credits to develop more low-income housing.
- As the tax season is underway, the Senate is being urged to pass the legislation quickly.
- The nonpartisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities group estimates the bill could benefit around 16 million children in low-income families in the first year, bringing around half a million children out of poverty.
- House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) praised the bill on Wednesday, saying:
"The Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act is important bipartisan legislation to revive conservative pro-growth tax reform. Crucially, the bill also ends a wasteful COVID-era program, saving taxpayers tens of billions of dollars."
Updated Jan. 19, 2024, 10:00 a.m. EST
- The House and the Senate have passed a stopgap spending measure to fund the government through early March.
- Some federal agencies, including agriculture, transportation, and veterans' services, are set to run out of funding at midnight on Friday.
- Today's stopgap spending bill is now heading to President Biden's desk for his signature.
- This is the latest in a string of short-term spending measures, primarily used to buy lawmakers more time to draft and advance a full suite of 12 annual government spending measures, which have caused disagreements between Democrats and Republicans. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) spent weeks insisting he would reject any stopgap measures, but agreed to give lawmakers more time to draft funding legislation. He hopes the extension will provide him more time to pursue conservative policies in the long-term spending bills.
- Johnson said in a statement:
"Because the completion deadlines are upon us, a short continuing resolution is required to complete what House Republicans are working hard to achieve: an end to governance by omnibus, meaningful policy wins, and better stewardship of American tax dollars."
What's the story?
- Congress leaders reached a spending agreement to avoid a partial government shutdown and keep the government funded until the end of the fiscal year.
- The deal still needs to be finalized before the first funding deadline on Jan. 19. Lawmakers have yet to conclude the budgets for agriculture, transportation, housing, energy programs, and more, which are expected to run out of money by that date under the stopgap government funding bill passed last fall.
The agreement
- The $1.6 trillion agreement caps topline spending at $886 billion for defense spending – the figure decided on by President Joe Biden and former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy last year – and $773 billion for non-defense spending for the current fiscal year. There is some discrepancy over the agreed-upon budgets.
- These figures allow lawmakers in the House and Senate to begin working on the texts of individual spending bills, which have caused ongoing tension in Congress.
- The plan accelerates a previously approved $20 billion cut to the IRS, which will happen this year rather than over the next two. The deal could also take back around $6 billion in untouched COVID-19 funds.
- Lawmakers protected health and benefits from receiving cuts under the new deal, a demand made by Democrats.
The response
- The House Freedom Caucus, a conservative Republican group in Congress, said the deal was a "total failure." Former chairman Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) said:
"Sad to say but the spending epidemic in Washington continues with both parties being culpable."
- President Biden said the deal "moves us one step closer to preventing a needless government shutdown and protecting important national priorities."
- Some Republican lawmakers argue that any further funding, including $50 billion in military aid to Ukraine, would be detrimental to America's interests.
- House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said the amount of funding agreed upon "will not satisfy everyone, and they do not cut as much spending as many of us would like." Yet, Johnson noted that the agreement allows the funding process to move forward while negotiators "reprioritize funding within the topline towards conservative objectives."
- Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said in a joint statement that the agreement is a win for Democrats and keeps Biden's demands in the negotiations intact. The statement read:
"The bipartisan topline appropriations agreement clears the way for Congress to act over the next few weeks in order to maintain important funding priorities for the American people...The framework agreement to proceed will enable the appropriators to address many of the major challenges America faces at home and abroad."
Do you support the deal? Let your reps know.
-Jamie Epstein
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I'm glad the child tax credit was renewed in some form, even though it's not as big as it should be to lift all children out of poverty. No parents and families should be punished for not making enough to file taxes. Especially when the GOP is trying to force them to have the children to begin with. They are very concerned for unborn embryos with no heart beats, but once that child comes out they can starve to death, die because their parents cannot afford medical treatmment, etc.
That being said, the REAL reason the Republicans voted for this was because it once again included more tax breaks for their corporate millionaire donors. The GOP only shows up for the wealthy and the business lobby who have bought and paid for them like any common prostitute! The GOP won't do anything for hard-working Americans if it doesn't also benefit their Corporate Masters!
I guess I should be happy this passed with such bipartisanship, but I wish we could get a Congress that puts the needs of the least of these over the pockets of their donors, most of whom do not pay their taxes, or fair share to begin with!
Child labor laws was put in place for a reason children were abused and died, that should've been in school to lean. Also corporations and businesses don't pay children minimum wage but less, 1/3 to 1/4 depending on state law and no benefits because of 30hr work week.
So far, it is the "right to life" champions of the Republican party that have stood for starvation and death among children, immigrants, pregnant women, and the LGBTQ+ members of our community! This biull has flaws, but they are there at the demand of the Republican party! If it does not become law, it is the Republicans who will carry the blame for that into the next election! PASS THIS INTO LAW!
I'm glad they renewed the child tax credit, even though it's not as big as it should be to lift all children out of poverty. No parents and families should be punished for not making enough to file taxes.
But let's be realistic, the only reason the Republicans voted for this was because it once again included more tax breaks for businesses. The GOP only shows up for the wealthy and the business lobby and won't do anything for hard-working Americans if it doesn't also benefit the business community.
I'm glad this passed with such bipartisanship, but I wish we could get a Congress that puts the needs of the least of these over the pockets of their donors.
Trump six finger discount, normally it is a five finger discount, the evangelist are giving desperate for a dictatorship! First of all I don't know what a church stands for?
Haaa, the trickle down effect: economics, inflation and deficit, all thanks to republicans party corporate greed!
The good news is that half of Congressional Republications don't want a government shutdown.
The bad news is they won't step up and vote for the same funding levels for an annual budget?
What exactly do they think will change in long term funding if they are unable to change short term funding to keep the government running?
Seems the same minority of extremists in the House don't want to keep the June 2023 debt limit deal.
At least Johnson is supporting the deal and half of Republicans are supporting him.
"about half of Republicans joined with Democrats in passing the third stopgap funding measure in recent months. The action came a few hours after the Senate had voted overwhelmingly to pass the bill by a vote of 77-18."
"Speaker Mike Johnson has been under pressure from his right flank to scrap a $1.66 trillion budget deal he reached with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer earlier this month. Republican Representative Chip Roy said the continuing resolution passed Thursday will facilitate that agreement."
"Johnson has insisted he will stick with the deal, and moderates in the party have stood behind him. They say that changing course now would be going back on his word and would weaken the speaker in future negotiations."
https://www.voanews.com/amp/us-congress-votes-to-avert-shutdown-keep-government-funded-through-early-march-/7446083.html
So here we are, the extreme right has doomed us to another month or two of chaos as they kick the can down the road.
At this point, I have no faith that Johnson can corral his side to pass a spending bill, nor that he can hold onto the Speakership all year.
I've heard him on TV twice now acting like he holds all the cards on the border and spending. Since he's clearly not very good at this Constitution thing, I'd like him to tell us how he thinks he's ever going to get his priorities passed with a Democratic Senate and President.
Maybe someone should send Johnson back to civics class.
It's good that this stop-gap deal has averted a gov. shut-down, but this shit of kicking the can down the road over and over is so lame. I would expect that come March when this stop-gap measre runs out we'll be no closer to passing a long-term bill than we have been.This is no way to run a government and must stop. Congress needs to get its act together and do their damn jobs and the fucking Republicans need to think about what is best for this country instead of their own narrow ego driven interest. If the fucking Republicans are so hot to cut gov. spending, then cut their damn salaries in half. They have not done anything in the past few years to earn their salaries, so cut their damn pay.
Now it sounds like the far right in the House wants to blow up the deal! I guess we're back where we were a few months ago...
This shouldn't be necessary. Everything should have been done long before it got this far. It is nothing more than an egotistical power play of greed, and for power and control over the masses. Shame falls on the shoulders of our politicians who are too wrapped up in their own ego and want to stay in power. Once again, I say we should eliminate ALL political parties and make our elected officials follow through with the ideaology of their constituents with no out of state influence or financial backing. If they have served for more than two terms. VOTE THEM OUT! End of problem. I want my country back.
While there are parts of the agreement I don't agree with, such as the IRA cut in funding, I'd say it probably the best deal that can pass and will keep the the gov. operating. No one wins when the gov. is shut down, so this is a positive thing.
Step in the right direction but much more to do in a short amount of time to keep government running with the 1st deadline coming up in 10 days (1-19-24) for Dept of Energy, Food Safety, HUD, Veterans Affairs, and Dept of Transportation; and a 2nd deadline (2-5-24) for Military, National Parks, Science.
The 2024 Bipartisan Budget topline is the same as previously agreed to in June 2023 in order to raise the debt ceiling but has not yet been broken down into legislation for departments and policy programs. In addition House Republicans will continue to pursue abortion & diversity riders according to the speaker.
"The deal is modeled largely on caps and side spending agreements struck in a debt limit deal last year, which included a side agreement for further budget changes that would allow a plus-up for nondefense dollars for most of 2024. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), though, said Republicans negotiated billions in spending cuts to offset that."
"House Republicans have pursued a host of partisan riders in their appropriations proposals, including measures targeting abortion access and diversity efforts. Johnson said that Republicans will continue to seek GOP policy riders."
"Funding expires on this date (1-19-24) for agencies that oversee agriculture, transportation, housing and veterans' services, among other areas."
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/4394251-speaker-johnson-announces-topline-spending-deal-to-avoid-government-shutdown/amp/
https://m.economictimes.com/news/international/business/us-government-shutdown-what-would-close-what-would-stay-open/amp_articleshow/106638667.cms
I said this a month ago....that we'd be right back here where we started.
And now, we'll be right back her in another month or so with same bullshit from the GOP.
Need to keep working on it! Not ideal !Too much on Military/defense
I can't say I'm thrilled with this budget. The military still gets far too much, and we still need more income from the ultra-wealthy and corporate to balance the budget.
However, we have to deal with the hand we have. If there is bipartisan agreement to pass this budget and move on with other legislation this year, then I support it.
But I wish Congress would get more serious about fixing the imbalance and prioritizing the American people, not the military-industrial complex.