Sanders, Manchin Join Forces With Senate Republicans To Block Child Tax Credit Bill

The Senate failed to pass the bipartisan tax bill that expands child tax credits on Thursday, despite it overwhelmingly passing the House earlier this year.

Independent Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Joe Manchin of West Virginia joined 42 Republicans to block the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act by a 48-44 vote. The $79 billion package, which needed 60 votes to advance in the Senate, passed the House in late January in a 357-70 vote.

Republican Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, who is also former President Donald Trump’s running mate, is notably a no-show at the vote despite historically supporting pro-family initiatives and child tax credit expansion.

The bill aimed to “make improvements to the child tax credit, to provide tax incentives to promote economic growth,” and to “make improvements to the low-income housing tax credit,” among other tax related provisions, according to its text.

“Senate Republicans have been giving all these flowery speeches about how much they care about kids and families, and then when it comes to actually doing something, they’re AWOL,” Democratic Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden of Oregon told The Washington Post.

The package, which was drawn up by Wyden and Republican House Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith of Missouri, has faced opposition from Republicans.