Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) released an analysis showing an enhanced child tax credit remains the best way to provide meaningful tax relief for working American families. The child tax credit, which is supported by Special Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump, has garnered significant attention and praise from commentators and experts:  

“Senators Mike Lee and Marco Rubio say that the child credit has to be doubled: Anything much less than that will be a tax increase on a lot of middle-class families… Republicans should both take Lee’s and Rubio’s advice.” (Editorial Board, An Opportunity for Pro-Growth and Pro-Family Tax Reform, National Review, 9/27/17)
 
·         “Republicans have an opportunity to pass a reform of the tax code that makes it more pro-growth and pro-family while also simplifying it. They should take it.” (Editorial Board, An Opportunity for Pro-Growth and Pro-Family Tax Reform, National Review, 9/27/17)
 
“The child tax credit could ‘make or break’ the Republican tax plan” (Anna North, “The child tax credit could ‘make or break’ the Republican tax plan,” Vox, 10/3/2017)
 
·         “Enter the child tax credit. It hasn’t gotten much attention yet, but this part of the Republican tax plan is one to watch in the months to come. That’s because in order to pass their tax reform plan, Republicans will probably need to include a real benefit for working families, not just corporations and high earners.” (Anna North, “The child tax credit could ‘make or break’ the Republican tax plan, Vox, 10/3/2017)
 
“Republicans have argued that expanding that credit would be a boon to middle-class families, and a number have rallied around a proposal from Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) to double its value.” (Carolyn Y. Johnson and Kelsey Snell, “Republicans race to negotiate the future of popular tax breaks while shoring up party unity,” Washington Post, 10/4/2017)
 
“An enhanced child tax credit remains best way to provide meaningful tax relief for American families.” (Family Research Council, 10/5/17)
 
“Charts are worth a look here.” (Richard Rubin, Wall Street Journal, 10/5/17)
 
“Press release from @marcorubio on how to make sure tax reform benefits middle-class families.” (Ramesh Ponnuru, National Review, 10/5/17)
 
“Why the GOP’s tax reform plan needs continued refundability within the child tax credit expansion in two charts.” (Josh McCabe, Endicott College Assistant Dean of Social Sciences. 10/5/17)
 
“Correctly notes it all depends on child tax credit, which is unknown in framework. Rubio’s been pitching tax credits on this awhile now.” (Benjy Sarlin, NBC News, 10/5/17)
 
“The child tax credit is a centerpiece of the so-called ‘reformicon’ movement, the strand of GOP thinking that puts more emphasis on direct benefits to families and less on cutting marginal tax rates. Compared with reductions in tax rates or deductions, credits are more valuable to lower-income and middle-income households.” (Richard Rubin, “Republicans Hammer Out Child Tax Credit Details,” Wall Street Journal, 10/4/17)
 
·         Their formula for calculating the credit is more generous to low-income families than current law is, and it would be refundable, meaning people can get money back from the Internal Revenue Service even if they don’t owe income taxes. (Richard Rubin, “Republicans Hammer Out Child Tax Credit Details,” Wall Street Journal, 10/4/17)
 
“Kudos for Rubio and Lee for holding strong on demands to at least double CTC and make it further refundable against payroll taxes.” (Joshua McCabe, former Koch Foundation scholar and author of “The Fiscalization of Social Policy: How Taxpayers Trumped Children in the Fight Against Child Poverty,” 9/27/17)
 

“Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Mike Lee (R-UT) have spent months working with Ivanka Trump, and persuaded her to abandon her plan to add a tax deduction for child care in favor of an increased child tax credit. It appears that the Big Six have adopted this approach as well.” (Dylan Matthews, The new Republican tax plan, explained, Vox, 9/27/17)

·         The personal exemption (currently offering households $4,050 per person in deductions) is eliminated, replaced by the higher child credit and standard deduction. (Dylan Matthews, The new Republican tax plan, explained, Vox, 9/27/17)
 
“I think that once Rubio/Lee get their hands on this, [the Child Tax Credit increase] will be > $500.” (Kyle Pomerleau, Tax Foundation, 9/27/17)
 
“Middle income families will save even more money with an increased child tax credit for children under the age of 17, which so many families have been calling for. We will eliminate the marriage penalty in the existing credit and expand eligibility to include even more middle income families. Greatly expanded. We’re also expanding the child tax credit because we believe the most important investment our country can make is in our children.” (President Trump, speech in Indiana on tax reform, 9/27/17)
 

“Depending on other provisions in the ultimate bill, it’s conceivable that some families could face tax increases if Republicans are not careful… Trying to address those possible problems, Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Marco Rubio of Florida released a statement Wednesday saying that the child tax credit “must be at least doubled” from its current level of $1,000.”  (Joseph Lawler, GOP faces scrutiny on middle-class tax cut claims, The Washington Examiner, 9/27/17)