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FIRST ON FOX: Republicans mount their own efforts for an expansion child tax credit that includes applying the credit to fetuses in the womb.
Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, is leading a package of bills in the House called the Provide For Life Act, an ambitious effort to overhaul the federal government’s family health care system.
Hinson told Fox News Digital that her legislation “sets the policy direction for a culture of living in America.”
“By extending child tax credits to unborn children and providing additional support to working families, empowering women to care for their babies regardless of socioeconomic status or zip code, and improving access to community resources, we can make a meaningful difference to those in need,” Hinson said.
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Representative Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, is leading a package of bills aimed at a major overhaul of the U.S. family health care system. Senator Marco Rubio introduced his Senate counterpart. (Getty Images)
“These provisions, and others championed by the pro-life community, will ensure we protect the most vulnerable and make critical investments in the long-term well-being of our families.”
The marquee would expand the child refundable tax credit to a maximum of $3,500 for children ages 5 and under, and $4,500 for children ages 6-17. Parents would have to be employed to get the credit under the GOP bill.
It would also retroactively extend the tax credit to unborn children. When a dependent child is born, parents during pregnancy are eligible for the tax credit in the previous year, in addition to access to the regular child tax credit in the current year.
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The expanded child tax credit with no work requirements was a popular measure during the COVID-19 pandemic, but Democrat-led efforts to make it permanent failed. As of the most recent tax cycle, the credit is up to $2,000 per dependent.
Other measures in the package include an option for parents to tap into their Social Security to fund up to three months of paid parental leave and increasing certain benefits for new mothers. It also includes incentives for states to create guidelines for fathers to pay a portion of a woman’s pregnancy costs and would enforce cooperation in receiving child support. SNAP Food Benefits.
An expanded tax credit for children with no work requirements was a pet project of President Biden that ultimately never passed (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)
The bill comes as the issue of access to abortion remains a political lightning rod since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022.
In addition to increasing economic benefits for young families, Hinson’s legislation seeks to provide expectant parents with support programs on college campuses and pregnancy information centers, and aims to establish “a federal clearinghouse of resources” and strengthen support for social service programs at places of worship.
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For low-income parents or other vulnerable communities, it funds “local demonstration programs that provide voluntary mentorship and peer support.”
Hinson’s bill comes amid allegations against Republicans who claim to be anti-abortion but not pro-family. (Fox News Digital/Lisa Bennatan)
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The package’s counterpart in the Senate was recently introduced by Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who said it meant “real help” for children and families.
“Supporting pregnant mothers and their unborn children is essential not just because it is the right thing to do, but because America’s staying power depends on the next generation,” Rubio told Fox News Digital. “This comprehensive legislation will bring real help to American parents and children in need. We need policies like this to show America that conservatives are pro-life across the board.”
Elizabeth Elkind is a political reporter for Fox News Digital.
