Congressional Democrats to announce $3,000 child benefit proposal to pair with Biden relief package

Congressional Democratic are set Monday to announce legislation that would give $3,000 per child to tens of millions of U.S. families.

The 22-page bill proposes that the Internal Revenue Service provide $3,600 to every child under the age 6 and $3,000 per child ages 6-17 to families earning less than $75,000 per year, or couples earning less than $150,000. The payments would be distributed monthly, over the course of a year, beginning this July. 

The bill was written primarily by Massachusetts Democratic Rep Richard Neal, chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. the measure will be introduced as congressional Democrats push to pass President Biden's $1.9 trillion stimulus plan in the coming days. 

"The pandemic is driving families deeper and deeper into poverty, and it's devastating. We are making the Child Tax Credit more generous, more accessible, and by paying it out monthly, this money is going to be the difference in a roof over someone's head or food on their table," Neal said.

However, it's unclear whether Democrats will be able to pass the  bill through a process called reconciliation, which requires only a simple majority and is how they are planning on passing Biden's aid package.

The Biden administration is moving to prioritize the reduction of American child poverty as a central policy goal. Last month, Biden called for the augmentation of the Child Tax Credit for one year to help fight against poverty that has been intensified due to the pandemic. 

"All told, the American Rescue Plan would lift 12 million Americans out of poverty and cut child poverty in half. That's 5 million children lifted out of poverty," the president said.