Press Releases

Today, U.S. Representatives Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), and Ritchie Torres (NY-15) reintroduced the American Family Act, legislation that would make permanent the expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC), which provided families with monthly payments of up to $300 per child.

The expanded, monthly Child Tax Credit is proven to help rebuild the middle class and lift millions of children out of poverty. The 2021 expansion of the credit in the American Rescue Plan Act was based on the American Family Act. It led to a historic reduction in poverty in the United States, particularly for children. Research showed that child poverty fell by nearly half to 5.2%, its lowest level on record.

President Trump campaigned on lowering costs for American families and Vice President JD Vance voiced support for bolstering the Child Tax Credit on the campaign trail. As Republicans work on a forthcoming tax package, they must include the fully expanded Child Tax Credit – a commonsense, tested policy that delivers for American workers and families.

 “I consistently hear from families in my district and across the country about the challenges they face getting by. The costs of housing, food, and child care can be overwhelming. Democrats have a proven solution to help families in the expanded Child Tax Credit. We know that it works because we have seen it before, and it is supported by considerable data and countless stories from families,” said DelBene. “Republicans let the expanded Child Tax Credit expire at the end of 2021 and since then child poverty has more than doubled. Lifting kids out of poverty should not be a partisan issue. Yet, Republicans continue to prioritize the wealthy and well-connected and refuse to work to create bipartisan tax policy that supports working families. If we truly want to make America a place where families and the middle class can thrive, we need to pass the American Family Act.”

“Families are living paycheck to paycheck,” said DeLauro. “They need help dealing with high costs and the Child Tax Credit is one of our most powerful and proven solutions – an antidote to inflation. It provides middle and working-class families with unprecedented economic security and lifts millions of children out of poverty. I am proud to join my colleagues in reintroducing this legislation. We need the Child Tax Credit now.”

"The American Family Act would be a lifeline for millions of families who have been left behind for far too long. By expanding and fully refunding the Child Tax Credit, we would make a crucial investment in the future of our children — lifting millions out of poverty, putting money directly into the pockets of working families, and ensuring that every child, no matter their background, has a fair shot at success,” said Torres. “The evidence is clear: the expanded CTC worked at exponentially reducing childhood poverty, and it is time to make it permanent. This is not just economic policy: it is a moral imperative."

Senators Michael Bennet (CO), Cory Booker (NJ), and Raphael Warnock (GA) introduced identical legislation in the Senate.

The American Family Act would:

• Increase the value of the CTC from the current level of $2,000 per child to $6,360 for newborns, $4,320 for children ages one through six, and $3,600 for children age six through 17.
• Make the credit fully refundable, ensuring that the families of 17 million low-income children left out of the CTC under current law will receive the full credit.
• Provide for monthly delivery of the credit so families have access to the credit as bills arrive.
• Index the CTC for inflation to preserve the value of the credit moving forward.

A copy of the bill text can be found here.