CONTACT: J.P. Duffy or Alice Chao, (866) FRC-NEWS or (866)-372-6397
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House of Representatives passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1). Family Research Council (FRC) announced it supports Chairman Kevin Brady’s (R-TX) Tax Cuts and Jobs Act due to multiple tax reform provisions that directly benefit the family and free speech. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act would increase the child tax credit, expand education savings accounts to include unborn children, provide for free speech fairness for all nonprofits including churches and faith based groups, remove most marriage penalties and includes an adoption tax credit.
FRC President Tony Perkins released the following statement:
“The House passed tax plan is a win for families who are at the heart of our economy. Families will see their budgets bolstered and the child tax credit increase will enable moms and dads to better provide for their children. Families will be allowed to put aside money for their unborn child’s future education. Marriage tax penalties are greatly reduced – something that pro-family groups including Family Research Council have advocated for many years.
“Marriage is good for individuals, men and women, their children, culture, and the economy as shown by numerous studies. Yet federal tax policy has continued to penalize marriage, even as many families require two income-earners to help with the cost of living, most especially costs associated with raising children. This tax plan is a major step in the right direction for the government to stop creating a financial disincentive for marriages.
“In a victory for free speech, this bill includes the Speech Fairness Act which puts an end to the IRS’s role of threatening pastors and other religious nonprofits over their tax status if they engage in speech that bureaucrats don’t like.
“Speaker Paul Ryan, House Majority Whip Rep. Steve Scalise, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady, and Rep. Jody Hice should be commended for their leadership in delivering this big win for families and for free speech. Now it’s the Senate’s turn to expand on the work the House has done to provide relief for American families,” concluded Perkins.
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