Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock Introduces Bill to Expand Child Tax Credit

Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock (D) has recently introduced legislation to expand the child tax credit. The bill is known as the American Family Act and doubles the tax credit from its current rate. 

Under current law, the credit amounts to $2,000 but this bill would expand that to $4,320 for children under 6 years old. For children ages 6-17, the credit would be $3,600.

The American Family Act would also provide families with a one-time payment of $2,400 for newborns. This payment is known as the “baby bonus.” 

In an official statement, Warnock expressed how this initiative is a moral necessity and an intelligent investment. He stated, “Expanding the child tax credit is not only the right thing to do morally but also the smart thing to do.”

Warnock also commented, “Expanding the Child Tax Credit is a good policy. This is about lifting millions of children out of poverty, giving working families a break, AND investing in the next generation.”

Senator Warnock collaborated with Senator Michael Bennet (D) of Colorado to write this legislation. Bennet also described child poverty as a moral obscenity and how Democrats are working to address it.

Bennet commented on X, “In the richest country in the world, child poverty is a moral obscenity. The expanded (Child Tax Credit) would change the lives of millions of American children for the better. Today, Democrats demonstrated that we are fighting for families in every corner of our country.”

This legislation follows Senator Warnock’s track record as a family advocate in Congress. In 2021, he successfully pushed for the American Rescue Plan to include a child tax credit expansion. 

In 2022, Warnock frequently pushed for congress to extend tax cuts for working families. 

In another comment about the bill, he described it as an effort to uphold family values. Warnock stated, “Family values is not about rhetoric, it’s about giving every child a chance and to ensure that a child’s outcome is not based on their parent’s income.”