Wednesday, April 17, 2019
YOUNGSTOWN
Despite no Republican co-sponsors, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown said he’s optimistic he can get his Working Families Tax Relief Act passed that would cut taxes for workers and families.
“I think within the next year we have a real chance” to get it passed, said Brown, a Cleveland Democrat, during a Tuesday visit to the United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley.
The bill would expand the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit to, he said, benefit 114 million people nationally including 4 million in Ohio.
“Our bill would put more money back in the pockets of working families and set children up for future success,” he said.
The bill would expand the EITC for families with children by about 25 percent, expand that credit for workers without children and make it available for people starting at age 19 up to age 67, and allow workers to draw a $500 one-time advance payment on their credit so families aren’t forced to go to payday lenders when an unexpected expense arises, Brown said.
“If your car breaks down and you don’t have $400 to $500 to fix it, you can get” the one-time advance, he said.
It would also make the Child Tax Credit fully refundable to help about 26 million children.
“As Americans filed their taxes this year, more and more people saw the president’s tax scam for what it was,” Brown said. “It was big tax breaks for the richest people in the country and almost nothing for working families in the Mahoning Valley.”
Bob Hannon, the local United Way president, said expanding the tax credits would help Ohioans.
“We’re hopeful Congress will carefully consider the legislation and expand these important tools to help Ohio families get ahead,” he said.