Axios has learned that the esteemed Senator from West Virginia has made even more demands that will “dramatically weaken one of President Biden’s signature programs to help working families.” Now Manchin wants to ‘mean test’ the Child Tax Credit (CTC).
Under his latest proposal:
- The CTC will apply only to families making less than somewhere in the $60,000 range. Manchin has not determined the exact dollar amount.
- Only working families would qualify to receive the CTC. Currently, “President Biden expanded the it for 2021, to households that didn’t have any taxable income, providing a direct subsidy to poor families that are out of the workforce.”
- Disabled individuals or retired grandparent raising their grandchildren would not receive it.
- Manchin supported the credit under the American Rescue Plan in March with no work requirement.
- The first child tax credit payment lifted around 3 million children out of poverty, one study found.
- Manchin argues that without a work requirement attached to the credit, our society and economy will develop an “entitlement mentality.” In September, he told CNN’s Dana Bash that tying the credit to parents with jobs would ensure assistance was provided to “the right people.”
- Dirty Coal Joe “also continues to privately tell colleagues the president’s Clean Electricity Performance Program, a cornerstone of Democrats’ plan to achieve zero-carbon electricity, is a non-starter.”
