James M. Talent: “I rise for a moment to speak in favor of amendment No. 2711, which is at the desk. It is my amendment regarding the…”

“I rise for a moment to speak in favor of amendment No. 2711, which is at the desk. It is my amendment regarding the child tax credit offered by the majority leader. I will discuss briefly that amendment. I originally hoped I could offer an amendment making the child tax credit permanent, which would help millions of workers and families around the country. I wanted to offer a straight-out extension. The Senate rules preclude that from being offered today. Instead, I will put the Senate on record that this Senator supports a permanent extension of the child tax credit. In 2001, the Congress set in motion legislation which extended that credit to $1,000 per child, but in 2011, unless Congress acts beforehand, the clock will turn back and taxes will go up effectively 50 percent on the workers and families who qualified for the child tax credit. This additional money has made a big difference to families around the country and in Missouri. People like Beth Davis, who is a hairdresser in Kansas City, a single mother of three children, use this money to help pay for necessities for their children. The most recent Treasury Department data shows that 543,000 married couples and single parents in Missouri benefit from the child tax credit enacted in 2001. I believe this child tax credit is supported very strongly in the Senate. I expect the sense-of-the-Senate will be approved.…”