Joe Manchin Thinks Parents Should Have To Work For Child Tax Credit

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) suggested Sunday that he’s fundamentally opposed to a key part of the Democratic agenda: monthly benefits for parents.

Since July, the federal government has been sending most parents monthly cash payments, a revolutionary policy that could slash child poverty ― but the payments will stop after December if Congress doesn’t pass a new law to keep them going.

Manchin voted for the American Rescue Plan, which started the payments, but is now evidently having second thoughts, saying the program should be more “need-based” and helpful to parents.

“There’s no work requirements whatsoever,” Manchin said on CNN’s “State of the Union,” where he outlined his opposition to his party’s plans for higher corporate taxes to pay for more social spending.

“There’s no education requirements whatsoever, for better skill sets,” Manchin said. “Don’t you think, if we’re going to help the children, that the people should make some effort?”

The monthly payments are technically advance payments of the child tax credit, which had previously provided refunds at tax time for some families. One of the key changes that Democrats made to the credit was to eliminate the earnings requirement, allowing people to receive payments even if they had no income.