Senate Republicans Offer a Deal on Expanding Child Tax Credit

Senate Republicans working to expand the child tax credit for low-income families tried to spur talks with the House on Tuesday with a first offer for compromise.

“I think we ought to get it done this week,” said Sen. Don Nickles of Oklahoma, one of the Republicans appointed to negotiate a compromise.

In a letter to House Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas of Bakersfield, the Senate Republicans said they could accept some House bill items.

Those include bigger tax credits for wealthier married couples and tax breaks for military personnel. The senators did not insist the legislation match the Senate’s bill by raising enough revenue to pay for the tax cut but asked negotiators to discuss offsetting part of its cost.

DeLay called the offer “a very interesting proposal.”