Thursday, the House Ways & Means Committee passed a series of bills that are designed to invest in our workforce, families and economy, including several bills supported by U.S. Representative Terri Sewell (D-Selma) that will directly impact Alabamians living in the 7th Congressional District. Sewell praised the legislation.
“The Ways & Means Committee passed historic tax relief for the middle class,” Congresswoman Sewell said. “So many Alabamians were left behind by the GOP tax law. These bills take impactful steps to uplift the most vulnerable families in our society and reduce poverty for low-income workers,” Sewell said. “I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues to ensure these critical bills pass the House of Representatives.”
The bills passed out of Committee and now head to the House floor for consideration.
Rep. Sewell supported the Economic Mobility Act, which expands the earned Income Tax Credit, the Child Tax Credit and the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit.
“By expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Child Tax Credit and the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit, we are standing up for families who are struggling to make ends meet and who were left behind by the GOP tax law,” Sewell said. “We know the Earned Income Tax Credit is a powerful tool to reduce poverty for low-income workers. This legislation will expand the benefits of the credit for childless workers, including nearly tripling the maximum credit for these workers. The expansion will benefit nearly 12,000 low-income workers in my district, who will receive on-average a $510 increase in the credit.”
“This bill also doubles the tax credit for child and dependent care and makes the credit refundable,” Sewell added. “Under this proposal, low- and middle-income families will be able to claim the credit for the first time, making the significant costs of child care more affordable for thousands of families in my district.”
Rep. Sewell also supports a $1 billion increase in funding for child care included in Child Care Quality and Access Act
“We know affordable child care is one of the biggest challenges facing families in my district and across the country,” Sewell said. “When families have access to quality child care, the benefits for both parents and children are clear. Working parents are able to get better jobs and higher earnings, creating a lasting impact on the family’s long-term economic security.”
“I am especially proud that the increased funding in this legislation is estimated to expand access to child care services for an additional 3,400 children in my state of Alabama,” Sewell stated.
Rep. Sewell supports PRIDE Act to make the U.S. tax code fairer for same-sex couples.
“When the United States Supreme Court upheld the rights of same-sex couples to marry in 2015, they reaffirmed what many states across the country already recognized: that everybody should be allowed to marry the person they love. Our tax code should reflect these values and uphold the dignity of all married couples,” Sewell said. “I am proud to support the PRIDE Act today – during Pride Month – to ensure that married same-sex couples receive the tax benefits they deserve for the entire duration of their marriage, and to remove outdated gendered language from the tax code.”
Rep. Sewell also supports the Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Tax Relief Act
“This bill will provide certainty for taxpayers and businesses through 2020, and many of the tax credits in this package are critical to jobs and economic development in Alabama,” Sewell added.
“I am especially proud that this legislation not only extends the New Markets Tax Credit through 2020, but it also expands the authorized allocation level from $3.5 billion to $5 billion,” Sewell said. “The New Markets Tax Credit has contributed to over $1 billion in investments in my state of Alabama, including projects in my district like the Entrepreneurial Center in Birmingham and a biomass processing facility in my hometown of Selma.”
The bills now move to the floor of the full House of Representatives.
If they pass the House, they go on to consideration by the Senate.
Congresswoman Terri Sewell represents Alabama’s Seventh Congressional District.
