Democratic spending proposals ‘disrespect’ taxpayers, Rep. Ashley Hinson says

U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson supports expanding the child tax credit, but has concerns about the price tag on the American Rescue Plan that includes sending payments averaging $423 a month to about 35 million families with children.

President Joe Biden predicts the program — that will send monthly payments of $300 for each child age 5 and younger and $250 per child for those between 5 and 17 — will halve child poverty rates.

“It’s important that we continue to look at ways where we can help support our working parents and families,” Hinson said in a phone call to reporters Friday.

Her problem is that the rescue plan that included the child tax credit “was full of pork spending.”

“When you're looking at real ways to help American families, it's to make sure they're not seeing record inflation like we're experiencing right now,” the Marion Republican said.

Her office is getting questions about the checks from people confused about how the program will work. Rather than a credit on their 2021 income taxes, some of the parents receiving checks are concerned about whether they will have to pay taxes on the money.

Hinson is part of a House Republican task force on jobs and the economy that will begin meeting next week to advance “responsible pro-growth economic policies.”

Hinson has been in Washington this week marking up spending bills as a member of the House Appropriations Committee. She’s supported some of the Democratic proposals but voted against final passage because “I think that these bills disrespect taxpayers.”

“One of the most tone-deaf examples,” she said, was slashing funding for Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security when “we’re dealing with a worsening border crisis.”

Border crossings topped 188,000 in June — a 21-year high, Hinson said.

She also objected to removing Hyde Amendment language from the Health and Human Services budget to prevent taxpayer dollars being spent to provide abortions.

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