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Last updated on Tuesday, February 13, 2018
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - U.S. Rep. Luke Messer (IN-06) today introduced legislation with Rep. Mark Meadows (NC-11) to help expectant mothers cover the costs of pregnancy.
The Child Tax Credit for Pregnant Moms Act of 2018 would expand the Child Tax Credit to include an unborn child, making it easier to afford a growing family.
The recently passed Tax Cuts and Jobs Act doubled the Child Tax Credit for American families from $1,000 to $2,000.
"Expanding this tax credit will provide more resources to expectant mothers and help with the growing costs of having a child," Messer said. "I was raised by a single mom who worked full-time at a factory. This kind of credit would have made a big difference for us, and it will make a big difference for many other Hoosier families."
The credit would be claimed retroactively after the child is born. This would essentially allow for a double child tax credit, amounting to $4,000 total, during the taxable year the child is born in order to offset the costs associated with pregnancy and child-birth.
"It's simple: expectant mothers and fathers deserve the same financial assistance and tax credit benefits to begin planning for a new child as parents blessed with children already born," Meadows said. "The work, care, and costs associated with motherhood begin long before a child is born, and this legislation gives moms and their families an opportunity for a better start."
Indiana Right to Life is a key supporter of this legislation.
"We applaud this proposed tax credit for its affirmation of the humanity of the unborn child and its helpfulness to young families," Mike Fichter, President and CEO of Indiana Right to Life, said.
Other supporters of this pro-life, pro-family legislation include National Right to Life, Family Research Council, Susan B. Anthony List, and March for Life.
House GOP Conference Chair Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers is also an original co-sponsor on the bill. Senators Steve Daines (MT), Joni Ernst (IA), Deb Fischer (NE) and James Lankford (OK) introduced a companion bill in the Senate today.
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