Statewide Iowa — Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson of Marion is proposing an increase in the federal child tax credit as part of a package she says will support women during and after their pregnancies.
The 2021 American Rescue Plan that Hinson opposed raised the tax credit for low and middle-income parents of kids under the age of 17. Hinson’s bill would raise the credit even higher than last year’s levels, a 20 percent increase for parents with kids under five and 15 percent more for parents with kids between the ages of six and 16.
The legislation would let parents withdraw their future Social Security benefits for three months, to support parental leave after the birth of a baby. The bill would make it easier for faith-based organizations to secure federal grants for social service programs, including those that advise and support pregnant woman. Abortion rights advocates say some of the centers seek to delay and confuse women considering an abortion. Hinson says all institutions helping pregnant women should live up to what they’re promising.
Hinson’s bill also would make the federal adoption tax credit refundable.
Hinson’s bill in the U.S. House is identical to one Florida Republican Marco Rubio introduced in the U.S. Senate. Hinson did not indicate the bill is an alternative to another senator’s proposed national ban on most abortions after the 15th week of pregnancy. Hinson described her bill as a value statement and said now is an important time to present it to the public. Liz Mathis of Hiawatha, is the Democrat who is running against Hinson in Iowa’s second congressional district. Mathis says Hinson’s plan rings hollow and is an attempt to hide her record of supporting a nationwide ban on abortion.
