Pappas Files Bipartisan Bill to Cut Taxes for 3.5 Million Working Families

September 4, 2026 Press Release The Stronger Start for Working Families Act would let families begin earning the Child Tax Credit with their first dollar of work Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) joined Congresswoman Carol D. Miller (WV-01), Congressman Steven Horsford (NV-04), and Congresswoman María Salazar (FL-27) in introducing the bipartisan Stronger Start for Working Families Act , which would provide a tax cut to 3.5 million working families with children by allowing them to begin receiving the Child Tax Credit (CTC) starting with the first dollar they earn. This bill is a companion to legislation introduced in the Senate by U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan (NH) and Todd Young (IN). "Families in New Hampshire are working hard and still coming up short. Child care for a family with two kids costs close to $32,000 a year here, more than a quarter of our state's median family income," said Congressman Pappas. "It makes no sense that parents who need the Child Tax Credit most are the ones missing out. This bill is a simple and straightforward fix: let families start earning the credit with their first dollar of work so we can put money back in their pockets." Under current law, millions of working families do not receive the full value of the Child Tax Credit because their income isn’t high enough to maximize the refundable portion of the credit. The Stronger Start for Working Families Act would cut taxes for these families by allowing them to begin earning refundable CTC benefits beginning with the first dollar of income that they earn, rather than only for income over $2,500. According to the Tax Policy Center, this change would provide a tax cut to nearly 3.5 million families with kids in 2026 . Background: Pappas fought for the original expansion of the Child Tax Credit in the American Rescue Plan and has continuously advocated for reinstating the expanded Child Tax Credit to help Granite State families make ends meet. It’s estimated that 34,000 more children in New Hampshire would benefit from the expanded Child Tax Credit. Pappas also continues to advocate for investments in child care to be made in New Hampshire, including $1 million in federal dollars he secured through the Congressional appropriations process to make enhancements to the Child Study and Development Center at UNH, help create an Early Child Institute for Excellence, and improve child care and education in New Hampshire. He has held roundtable conversations with child care workers and New Hampshire families about the urgent need to address rising costs for families by making child care more affordable. In February Pappas helped introduce the bipartisan After Hours Child Care Act , which would improve access to affordable child care for parents working nontraditional hours. In April, he introduced the Rural Child Care Access Act , legislation to help child care providers serving small and rural areas upgrade existing facilities or construct new ones and strengthen services by creating a new grant program administered by the Department of Health and Human Services. He also supports the Child Care for Working Families Act , the Child Care Infrastructure Act , the Helping Ensure Reliable Opportunities (HERO) for Child Care Act , and the Providing Child Care for Police Officers Act.