WASHINGTON -- House Democrats’ latest proposal to expand the child tax credit includes a new feature: a $2,000 payment for newborn babies.
The two parties have been battling over the tax benefit since before a larger version of it lapsed after 2021. Past attempts to revive the pandemic-era child credit expansion haven’t included the new twist added this year by House Democrats, which could push the total benefit to as high as $5,300 in the first year of a child’s life.
The core of the legislation would revive an expanded tax credit for families that was in place for 2021, typically worth $3,600 per year for children under age 6 and $3,000 for older kids, paid in monthly installments. That’s up from the current maximum $2,000 benefit, which is only paid out at tax time.
