Friday, February 2, 2024

SojoMail - There’s a little hope in the House

SojoMail

In this week’s SojoMail, Adam Russell Taylor writes about how truly ‘pro-family’ legislation could actually pass in Congress, with bipartisan support:

It can be hard to remember, especially in a contentious election year, but bipartisan legislation to promote the common good is still possible. And equally hard to remember: People with different ideological goals — including both conservative and progressive Christians — can work together to make good legislation happen. Yes, really.

This week the House voted with a resounding margin of 357 to 70 to pass a bill that includes support for low-income families with multiple children. If passed in the Senate, the “Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act” will enhance the Child Tax Credit by expanding eligibility and adjusting payments for inflation, provisions that would benefit about 16 million children.

As you might expect in a bipartisan tax bill, there were compromises that irked those on either end of the political spectrum: While still a victory for low-income families, the plan doesn’t go nearly as far as the initial expansion of the CTC in 2021, which helped cut child poverty in half. Likewise, the plan revives three business tax breaks favored by many Republicans and some Democrats but opposed by some members of the ultra-right Freedom Caucus.

In order to overcome these objections and galvanize enough political will behind the bill, I urge Christians across the theological spectrum to join me in voicing your strong support for the bill from a moral perspective. As Christians, we believe parents are key in providing what their kids need to thrive, but we also know this sacred responsibility doesn’t solely fall on parents.

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