SCHAKOWSKY: BUSH ADMINISTRATIONS MISSTATEMENT OF THE DAY CHILD TAX CREDIT

NOVEMBER 3, 2003

SCHAKOWSKY: BUSH ADMINISTRATION'S MISSTATEMENT OF THE DAY -
CHILD TAX CREDIT

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) issued today's "Bush Administration's Misstatement of the Day" on the child tax credit.

During a speech today in Birmingham, Alabama, President Bush said:

We understand that as -- when the economy is slow and people are worried about the future, that it takes a lot to raise a child. And so we increased the child credit from $600 per child to $1,000 per child. This summer, I remember going to Pennsylvania and -- where they were cutting the checks, and I said, "The check's in the mail." Fortunately, it turned out to be in the mail. People got money back. Money in their pocket. ...if you had a child, then you got $400 per child.

The President, however, failed to mention the 12 million children that Republicans left behind in the new tax law in order to make room for tax breaks for the wealthy. (Read More)

Schakowsky said, "President Bush refused to intervene on behalf of working families, but he doesn't hesitate to talk about their children when it suits his political purpose. It is shameful."

Background:

Republicans removed a provision that would have provided an increase in the child credit to working and military families making between $10,500 and $26,625 during final closed-door negotiations on the $350 billion tax bill signed by President Bush.

After it was reported in the press, and following Democratic pressure, on June 5, the Senate passed H.R. 1308 by a vote of 94 to 2 to immediately increase the child tax credit to working families, including, including the families of 262,000 military children. However, House Republicans were unwilling to spend $3.5 billion to provide tax relief to those children unless it was coupled with more tax cuts for higher income people totaling $80 billion.