Stimulus: GOP Bill Could Include Homeschooling Tax Credit

The Senate officially reconvened on Tuesday after a summer recess. The biggest issue on their docket ties back to the second stimulus package that lawmakers have been trying to agree on for the past several months. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Tuesday that the Senate plans to vote on a new package, introduced by the Republican party, by the end of the week. It’s unclear exactly what their plan will entail. But, according to Axios reporter Alayna Treene, their package could include a homeschooling tax credit.

Treene, who covers White House news, tweeted that Sen. Josh Hawley submitted language to Mark Meadows, the White House chief of staff, and the White House that would add language to the GOP’s skinny stimulus package that would include a tax credit for homeschooling. His language would create a fully refundable tax credit for expenses associated with homeschooling, which many Americans will now be navigating amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis. She went on to report that Sen. Hawley may not vote for the Republicans’ latest relief package if this language is not included. Treene’s source also shared that Hawley isn’t the only Republican who may not vote for the party’s stimulus proposal, adding that they are unsure whether the package will be able to garner even 51 votes (the GOP currently hold the majority in Congress, as there are 53 Republican senators).

The Republicans’ bill has not been unveiled just yet, but it doesn’t appear as though it has much support at the moment. According to various reports, the package may not include a provision for a second round of stimulus checks, which many lawmakers have been calling for. While there are already reports that the Republicans’ latest, skinny stimulus proposal may not garner enough support from those within the party itself, the Democrats have been vocal about their opposition to this latest plan.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have said that the GOP’s skinny proposal is “headed nowhere.” Pelosi and Schumer’s statement read, per The Hill, “Senate Republicans appear dead-set on another bill which doesn’t come close to addressing the problems and is headed nowhere. If anyone doubts McConnell’s true intent is anything but political, just look at the bill. This proposal is laden with poison pills Republicans know Democrats would never support.”