The restoration to the adoption tax credit to the Republican’s tax reform proposal was heartily praised by pro-life and family activists on Thursday.
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady – who have two adopted children – amended the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act to restore the tax credits in the committee, saying that it “will ensure that parents can continue to receive additional tax relief as they open their hearts and their homes to an adopted child.”
The first proposals would have eliminated all the credit, which allowed adoptive parents to claim up to $13,460 on their federal returns and does not apply to those who are making more than $241,920 in income.
House Speaker Paul Ryan also lauded the move, calling it a “critical step” in to passing the tax reforms and also highlighted the restoration of the adoption credit as the most important fix on the reform package. Ryan had said that the credit was restored after the Republicans and the conservative groups had protested the elimination of this credit, which had allowed the taxpayers to claim $355 million in 2014, as per the Congressional Research Service.
“I want to thank Chairman Brady and the Ways and Means Committee for making important improvements to this historic legislation,” Ryan said in his statement. “After listening to our members, the committee preserved the adoption tax credit for middle-income families, and increased targeted relief for Main Street small businesses and startups.”
The news that the adoption tax credit could be potentially eliminated sparked protest from many of the pro-life groups and activists.
Susan B. Anthony List, a strong PAC that supported the campaigns of pro-life candidates, said that the elimination of the credit was at odds with the Republican principles on the issues of abortion in a letter to Congress on November 2. The group had said that the credit enabled many middle class families to handle the extremely costly expenses associated with the adoption, in addition to the lengthy wait times and other obstacles of adopting a child in the U.S.
SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser also said that the group was pleased to see that Brady addressed the issue in the amended bill. She praised Brady for preserving the “commonsense credit.”
“This important pro-life tax credit costs the government relatively little, but by reducing the steep expenses of adoption, it makes all the difference to tens of thousands of families each year who open their homes and hearts to children in need,” she had said in a release. “The amended bill gives these families the support they deserve in making the courageous, loving decision to adopt.”
Other pro-life groups praised the Congressional Republicans for quickly addressing their concerns with the bill too. Jeanne Mancini, the president of the March for Life, had said that the credit has “saved so many lives and needs to be safeguarded” in any of the tax reforms package. Catherine Glenn Foster – the president and CEO of Americans United for Life, said that the credit had helped her family during the adoption process.
“Americans United for Life is grateful to Chairman Kevin Brady and House leadership for restoring the adoption tax credit,” she said in a statement. “The adoption tax credit has helped my own family, and I am very thankful that it will continue to be available to parents who have so generously decided to provide children in need with a forever family.”