President Trump said Friday that a proposed increase in the child tax credit is “increasing on a daily basis” as the administration seeks the support of two Senate Republican holdouts on the massive tax-cut plan that is slated for final passage next week.
The president said Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Mike Lee of Utah, who want to expand the child tax credit, “are great people.”
“I know them very well, I know how they feel,” Mr. Trump told reporters at the White House. “They want to see it done, and they want to see it done properly. We’re putting in a tremendous child tax credit. It is increasing on a daily basis.”
Mr. Rubio tweeted Friday that he wants to make the child tax credit, which is doubling to $2,000 under the proposal, available to more working class parents. He said millions of families can obtain only 55 percent of the credit, and that he “can only support [the] bill” if the amount available to such parents is “meaningfully higher than 55 percent.”
Rep. Kristi Noem of South Dakota, one of the House GOP conferees on the bill, told reporters Friday that lawmakers increased the refundable portion of the credit to $1,400, up from $1,100 in the Senate-passed bill.
Republicans need the votes of Mr. Lee and Mr. Rubio to pass the plan in the Senate, where the GOP has a majority of 52-48.
Despite the last-minute negotiations, Mr. Trump said he has seen a final version of the legislation.
“I have seen it, I think it’s going to do very, very well,” he said. “I think we’re going to be in a position to pass something as early as next week which will be monumental.”
• David Sherfinski contributed to this story.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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