Biden Says ‘No’ To Manchin’s Proposed Work Requirement For The Child Tax Credit

President Joe Biden said Thursday he doesn’t support a work requirement for the child tax credit, something that Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin wants in the pricy social spending bill.

Manchin said he wants to include a requirement that parents have to work to qualify for the child tax credit after the Democrats most recent coronavirus relief package changed the measure. Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, families earning less than $2,500 wouldn’t qualify for it and a single parent with two children making between $2,500 and $30,000 would receive a partial credit, CNN noted.

The president spoke during a CNN town hall moderated by CNN’s Anderson Cooper in Baltimore, Maryland. Cooper noted Manchin’s support for the work requirement early on in the town hall and asked whether Biden “would support” it, prompting a quick response from the president.

“No,” Biden said. “Here’s the deal. All these people are working anyway. And by the way, you know, why should somebody who’s not working and has, you know, makes – has a million-dollar trust fund, why should they get the benefit and someone making 60 grand and not working, but staying home, why should they not get anything?”

“I don’t get that,” Biden added. (RELATED: ‘No Relationship To Our State’: Joe Manchin Hammers ‘Socialist’ Bernie Sanders Over Op-Ed In West Virginia Newspaper)

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Other Democrats – sans Manchin – want to permanently expand the monthly child tax credit in their spending plan. A Morning Consult/Politico poll taken October 2-4 found that 52% of those polled don’t want the child tax credit to be extended.

Another poll, conducted by the Washington University in St. Louis, UNC-Greensboro, Appalachian State, the Urban Institute and Humanity Forward in September, found that an overwhelming number of parents receiving the monthly child tax credit plan to continue working or increase their hours because of the payments.

An Axios report suggested the program could cost $450 billion over the next four years.

Manchin’s position is not a new one. He told CNN in September that he does “support child tax credits” and argued his position is in the interest of the children that the tax credit would ultimately help.

“I support child tax credits. I sure am trying to help the children,” Manchin said at the time. “You want to help the children and the parents that are basically providing for those children. There’s no work requirements whatsoever. There’s no education requirements whatsoever for better skill sets. Don’t you think, if we’re going to help the children, that the people should make some effort?”

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