Senate Republicans Block Child Tax Break Package

Republicans signaled they don’t want to hand Democrats a victory so close to the election.

The Internal Revenue Service had said it could send refund checks to families benefiting from break within six weeks of the bill being enacted.

The bill allows more of the $2,000 per child tax credit to be paid to individuals with such low income they currently only qualify for part of the credit. It would also bolster payments to low-income filers with more than one child. The maximum credit for all parents would be indexed to inflation for two years starting in 2024.

Some conservatives argued that a provision allowing parents to claim credits based on a prior year’s earnings would discourage work.

Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, the bill’s Democratic author, said he offered to remove that provision but that prompted more demands from Republicans.