UnidosUS Commends Bipartisan House Passage of Enhanced Child Tax Credit as a Win for Families and Kids

One in Three Latino Children Would Benefit from Tax Package that Should Be Swiftly Approved by Senate

Washington, DC — UnidosUS, the nation’s largest Latino civil rights organization, welcomes the bipartisan $78 billion tax package passed yesterday in a rare bipartisan vote (357 to 70) in the House of Representatives and calls for it to be swiftly passed by the Senate. Although the legislation falls short of fully reinstating the Child Tax Credit (CTC) expansion from the American Rescue Plan Act and fails to cover every child in the U.S., we applaud that it will help 16 million mostly lower-income families with children, increase benefit levels in families with multiple children, and allow additional flexibility through a “look-back” provision for families to qualify—features that will matter for millions of Latino households.

“Every child deserves a bright future. We know two things: the number one concern for Latino voters is the economic pressures many families face, and the Child Tax Credit is our most powerful tool to reduce child poverty. This bill would make a downpayment to ensure that millions of families—especially those with multiple children—have what they need to thrive, paying dividends into the future for families, children, and our shared prosperity. This bipartisan 357 to 70 vote shows strong momentum for this step forward on the CTC, despite cruel and misleading attacks from some lawmakers on the eligibility of U.S. citizen children. We call for this bill to be swiftly passed by the Senate without changes or delay, so that the lives of 16 million low-income kids can change for the better this tax season,” said Laura MacCleery, Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy at UnidosUS.