President Trump on Friday said the child tax credit for working families is “increasing” daily, hours after Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., threatened to vote against the current GOP tax bill if Senate Republican leaders decline to boost the credit’s availability to more low-income families.
“The Democrats have done nothing in terms of children, in terms of child tax credit,” the president told reporters. “We’re putting in a tremendous child tax credit and it is increasing on a daily basis.”
Rubio warned GOP leaders on Thursday afternoon that he would vote against the final tax plan “unless we are able to increase the refundable portion” of the child tax credit.
“If it stays at $1,100, I’m a ‘no.’ Let’s hope it doesn’t,” he told reporters.
The Florida Republican has been working with Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., a member of the tax bill conference committee, to boost the refundable portion of the tax credit. He’s looking to increase the amount of child tax credit that is refundable against payroll taxes, which would boost families that don’t pay an income tax.
White House aides are convinced that Rubio will come around before Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell brings the legislation to a vote on Monday.
“It’s very generous right now and I don’t think it needs to be expanded. I don’t think anyone in the White House does,” Kevin Hassett, chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, told CNN on Friday morning.
“I don’t think anyone thinks Rubio is going to hold up this bill,” Hassett said.
The final bill, which Rubio currently opposes, doubles the current child tax credit from $1,000 to $2,000 – something the Florida senator and Ivanka Trump both sought.