Child Tax Credit Update: Direct Payments to Parents Set to End as Joe Manchin Opposes Build Back Better Act

By Ben Rodriguez On Dec 26, 2021

“If I can’t go home and explain it to the people of West Virginia, I can’t vote for it. And I cannot vote to continue with this piece of legislation, I just can’t. I’ve tried everything humanly possible. I can’t get there.”Manchin told Fox News Sunday.

The Importance of One Legislative Vote

The United States Senate has 100 Senators, 2 from every state. Asides from that, when it comes to voting, the vice President of the United States is also among the voters making the total votes to be 101 votes. In the Senate, as we speak, there are 50 Republicans, 48 democrats, and 2 that do not have any political affiliation but are loyal to the Democrats. Which makes the vote 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans. The Vote of the Vice President is the tiebreaker; making Democrats have 51 votes and the republicans have 50 votes. Now when one vote is missing from the Democrat’s votes, it becomes 51 votes against the motion and 49 votes for the motion which means that the Vice president won’t need to vote cost it’s not a tie.

Senator Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat seems to have made up his mind on whether the Improved Child Tax Credit continues into 2022 or not. His answer will likely be to vote against continuation. One vote that counts will be lost.

Senator Joe Manchin Stand Explained.

People want more stimulus checks as long as the COVID Pandemic is still here, but this will be at the detriment of the overall health of the economy. According to the November inflation report. There is a price increase of 6.8% considered to last year. And that is the highest it has been in 39 years. Which makes the opposition believe that while the Pandemic might have caused a lot of things, Biden’s Build Back Better Act has pumped too much money into the economy leading to Inflation. This is the stand of Senator Joe Manchin and many republicans.

Improved Child Tax Credit Explained.

Child Tax Credit is a tax cut for parents of children aged 0-17 years. Children under 6 get $300 monthly while children aged 6-17 get $250 monthly. The way it was before was a flat $2000 for children under 0-16. But with the improved Child Tax Credit, Children age 17 were added and it became a monthly affair instead of yearly; plus the amount was increased from $2000 to $3600 and $3000 respectively for aged under 6 and aged 6-17. Once the improved tax credit stops, then it is reversed to what it was before. $2000 annually.

Although there is still a big check coming by April 15. $1800 and $1500 respectively. This payment is Child Tax Credit for the first half of 2021. The monthly payment started in the second half of 2021.

What the Presidency Wants

Presidency wants the Build Back Better Act. The White House said in a statement sent to Newsweek on Sunday, “Maybe Senator Manchin can explain to the millions of children who have been lifted out of poverty, in part due to the Child Tax Credit, why he wants to end a program that is helping achieve this milestone—we cannot.”

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Friday. “If we get it done in January, we’ve talked to Treasury officials and others about doing double payments in February as an option, But the president wants to see this move forward, it’s a priority for him as soon as Congress returns.”

The improved Child Tax Credit is included in Biden’s Build Back Better Act Bill. For the first part of the bill

The most transformative investment in children and caregiving in generations:

1. Offers universal and free preschool for all 3- and 4-year-olds, the largest expansion of universal and free education since states and communities across the country established public high schools 100 years ago.

2. Makes the largest investment in child care in the nation’s history, saving most American families more than half of their spending on child care.

3. Delivers affordable, high-quality care for older Americans and people with disabilities in their homes, while supporting the workers who provide this care.

4. Provides 39 million households up to $3,600 (or $300 per month) in tax cuts per child by extending the American Rescue Plan’s expanded Child Tax Credit.

You can read the Full Framework of Build Back Better Act.

What the People Want

Nearly 3 million people have signed an online petition on change.org calling on Congress to pass legislation providing $2,000 per month to all Americans for the remainder of the COVID-19 pandemic. That Change.org petition also calls for additional $1,000 payments to be sent out to parents for dependent children.