Families won't see child tax credit payments for first time in six months

Millions of families will not receive the monthly child tax credit payments this weekend for the first time in six months as the program expired at the end of last year.

Why it matters: More than 35 million families have received the payments, according to the IRS. The payments were part of the American Rescue Plan passed in 2021 and were seen as one of the largest anti-poverty measures in modern history.

• Biden's social spending bill, known as Build Back Better, would have permanently extended those payments to many families beyond a Dec. 31 deadline, but it did not pass by the end of 2021.
• Families received up to $300 per month for children under 6 and up to $250 per month for children 6–17.

The big picture: Democrats are calling for the expansions to be kept in place.

What they're saying: Rep. Shontel Brown (D-Ohio) said in a tweet that the child tax credit "reduced child poverty and helped countless families make ends meet."

• Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) said in a tweet on Friday that over 150,000 families in Hawaii would be affected and called on Congress to pass Build Back Better.