Federal legislation that would reduce taxes for families with children failed in the Senate on Thursday in a 48-44 vote. Only one of Montana’s two senators voted in favor of the proposal that experts estimate would have catapulted thousands of children across the state above the poverty line.
U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, a Democrat, supported legislation that featured an expanded child tax credit while Sen. Steve Daines, a Republican, voted against the bill.
“At a time when Montanans are struggling with rising costs on everything from housing to groceries, we should be putting more money back in the pockets of hardworking families and small businesses – especially as our state faces skyrocketing housing prices that are forcing Montanans out of their communities,” Tester said in a statement.
Child tax credits are proven to help families stay financially afloat, a large body of research shows. But lawmakers tend to disagree about the details of these tax policies, namely who should benefit and how much should the government be willing to spend to fund them.
