Indian American Representatives Pramila Jayapal, Ami Bera, and Ro Khanna welcomed the successful passage of the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024.
The bipartisan tax legislation, which secured a decisive vote of 357-70 on the House floor, aims to bring significant benefits to hardworking families and small businesses in the US.
“At the end of the day, this legislation will put more money in the pockets of working families, including supporting 12,000 kids in my district,” said Rep. Jayapal in a statement.
“This was a vote to raise the Child Tax Credit (CTC), adjust it for inflation, and make sure more of it is refundable, as well as improve the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) to address the growing deficit of homes in the Seattle area by adding 6,890 new affordable housing units in Washington State,” she added
Expressing disappointment, Jayapal also criticized her Republican colleagues for not providing much-needed relief without linking it to tax breaks for major corporations. She further stressed the importance of prioritizing working families over corporate interests and advocated for fully restoring the successful Child Tax Credit (CTC).
Jayapal also regretted the missed opportunity in the legislation to address Washington’s housing crisis by not supporting new permanent housing for those experiencing homelessness and extremely low-income households through the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC).
“While I find this trade-off troubling and I strongly believe that we need to do everything possible to ensure the wealthy pay their fair share, this vote was for the working families in Seattle and communities across the country who will benefit from an expanded CTC, and I recommit myself to ensuring that we fully fund the CTC to the benefit of as many people as possible when Democrats are back in control of the House,” she added.
She has been pushing for the reinstatement of the expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC) since its expiration in 2021. She also led over 55 colleagues in opposing a standalone corporate giveaway unless it expanded the CTC. Furthermore, she brought a CTC recipient from Seattle to join her at the 2022 State of the Union.
Rep. Bera also issued a statement, saying that he voted in favor of the bill that will make
“meaningful changes to the tax code to uplift hardworking families, empower small businesses, and bolster American innovation.”
“The package includes several pro-growth, pro-family tax priorities I’ve been fighting to deliver throughout my time in office, including an expansion of the Child Tax Credit and the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, incentivizing research and development, supporting small businesses, and strengthening our trade relationship with Taiwan,” he added in the statement.
I voted to pass the bipartisan Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act to expand the Child Tax Credit and the Low Income Housing Tax Credit.
— Rep. Ro Khanna (@RepRoKhanna) February 1, 2024
This bill isn’t perfect, but it's going to help families keep food on the table and increase affordable housing.
Taking to X, Rep. Khanna added, “I voted to pass the bipartisan Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act to expand the Child Tax Credit and the Low Income Housing Tax Credit. This bill isn’t perfect, but it's going to help families keep food on the table and increase affordable housing.”
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