House passes an expanded child tax credit bill and sends it to the Senate

It’s unclear whether the bill can pass the Senate, where some members want changes and GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley said he’s worried it would make President Joe Biden “look good.”

The House voted Wednesday night to pass a $78 billion tax package that includes an expansion of the child tax credit, sending it to the Senate, where its path is uncertain.

The Republican-led House passed the bipartisan measure 357-70, using a fast-track process that requires a two-thirds majority. The legislation received broad support from each party: 169 Republicans and 188 Democrats voted for it, while 47 Republicans and 23 Democrats voted against it.

But the bill does face opposition from a few corners, including liberal Democrats who object to the business tax breaks, right-wing Republicans who took issue with the child tax credit policy and New York GOP members who complained that it wouldn’t expand the $10,000 cap on federal deductions for state and local taxes.

The legislation now heads to the Democratic-led Senate, where it will need 60 votes to pass. It’s not clear that the votes are there.