Pappas Helps Introduce Legislation to Expand and Improve Child Tax Credit

This week Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) helped reintroduce the American Family Act, legislation that would make permanent the expanded and improved monthly Child Tax Credit.

“The Child Tax Credit is a middle-class tax cut that helps working families keep more of their hard-earned money and make ends meet. At a time when the cost of child care, groceries, and everyday essentials remains too high, reinstating this monthly benefit would deliver meaningful relief to New Hampshire families,” said Congressman Pappas. “I remain committed to fighting against actions by the Trump administration and House Republicans that will raise costs for working families, including sweeping tariffs that are increasing the cost of everything from gas to groceries. I’ll keep working to pass this important legislation to make the expanded monthly Child Tax Credit permanent. When our families can succeed, our kids, communities, and economy can also thrive. I’ll continue fighting for that in Congress.”

Specifically, 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;
• End the longstanding, discriminatory policy that reduces the value of the Child Tax Credit for low-income families, ensuring that the families of 17 million low-income children left out of the CTC under current law will receive the same credit as families in the middle class;
• Provide for monthly delivery of the credit so families have access to the credit as bills arrive; and
• Index the CTC for inflation to preserve the value of the credit moving forward.

Background:

Pappas fought for the original expansion of the Child Tax Credit in the American Rescue Plan and has continuously advocated for reinstating the expanded Child Tax Credit to help Granite State families make ends meet. It’s estimated that 34,000 more children in New Hampshire would benefit from the expanded Child Tax Credit. 

Pappas also continues to advocate for investments in child care to be made in New Hampshire, including $1 million in federal dollars he secured through the Congressional appropriations process to make enhancements to the Child Study and Development Center at UNH, help create an Early Child Institute for Excellence, and improve child care and education in New Hampshire. He has heldroundtableconversations with child care workers and New Hampshire families about the urgent need to address rising costs for families by making child care more affordable.