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This bill — the American Family Act of 2019 — would expand the existing Child Tax Credit with a new $300 per-month, per-child credit for children under 6 years of age and a $250 per-month, per-child credit for children under 17 years of age — increasing the credit for all children and making the credit fully refundable for the first time.

Specifically, this bill would:

Create a New Expanded Credit for Children under 6. The bill would create a new Young Child Tax Credit (YCTC) of $300 per month ($3,600 per year) for children under 6 years of age, up from the current maximum of $2,000 per year.
Increase the Maximum Child Tax Credit for All Children under 17. The bill would expand the Child Tax Credit (CTC) to $250 per month ($3,000 per year) for children 6 years of age or older, up from the current maximum of $2,000 per year.
Make Both Credits Fully Refundable. The bill would make both the YCTC and CTC fully refundable, meaning that all low-income families would receive the full credit for each child. The current CTC only begins to phase-in after a taxpayer has earned $2,500 of income and at a rate of 15 cents for every dollar of additional income. In addition, only $1,400 of the $2,000 credit is refundable.
Benefit the Middle Class. The bill would provide a tax credit for all individuals with children who earn less than $150,000 per year and all married couples with children who earn less than $200,000 per year.
Index the Credit for Inflation. The bill would index both YCTC and CTC levels for inflation (rounding to the nearest $50) to preserve the value of the credit going forward. The current CTC is not indexed for inflation.
Set Up Advance Payments on a Monthly Basis. The bill would call on the Treasury Secretary to set up monthly advance payments for the YCTC and CTC no later than a year after passage for taxpayers anticipated to receive a refund. Monthly payments would smooth families’ incomes and spending levels over the course of a year, helping them make ends meet during difficult months.

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Maybe that should argument should have been brought up before voting on the massive tax cut that didn't actually help real people. This proposal will help people that really need it.","argument_against":null,"show_argument_for":true,"show_argument_against":false,"upvote_count":2,"upvotes_for_count":2,"upvotes_against_count":null,"has_upvoted":false,"endorsement_count":2,"links":{"self":"https://www.causes.com/positions/f7b25a39-b8bb-4017-b0dd-db9fc0c2dfc8"},"body":"\"This proposal could be wildly expensive and increase already-unsustainable budget deficits.\"\n\nHm. Maybe that should argument should have been brought up before voting on the massive tax cut that didn't actually help real people. 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Should the Child Tax Credit Be Increased & Made Fully Refundable?