WASHINGTON, D.C. – Representative Joe Baca (D-Rialto) today expressed outrage that the House of Representatives will leave Washington for the August recess without extending the child tax credit to 12 million children of working families, including over 250,000 military families.   

“Starting today, checks for the child tax credit will be mailed to some families, but millions of other families will get no check,” said Baca.  “During this time of economic downturn we must not leave out those who are working harder for less pay or those who have recently joined the ranks of the unemployed. It is time to put working families back into the equation. America’s families need our help. They need a child tax credit!” 

House Democrats have been fighting for the past six weeks to quickly enact the bipartisan Senate-passed tax bill to help the 12 million children of 6.5 million hard-working and military families that Republicans left behind in the new tax law.   

On June 5, the Senate overwhelmingly passed a measure (H.R. 1308), 94 to 2, to immediately give an increased child tax credit to 6.5 million working families, including the families of 262,000 military children  – families who Republicans deliberately left out of their $350 billion tax law.  House Republicans, instead of immediately passing the Senate measure, passed an $80 billion bill that they Senate indicated it will not accept. 

There are currently 262,000 children of military families denied the expanded child tax credit because House Republicans continue to block passage of the Senate bill.  In addition, the bill passed by the House GOP contains bad news for the children of the 200,000 men and women currently serving in Iraq or other combat zones.  The GOP House bill leaves in place current law – under which many families will have tax increases because combat pay for their service is not counted for purposes of the child tax credit. The bill passed in the Senate and supported by Baca helps these active military families, while the House bill does not.