Sen. Baldwin touts COVID-19 relief bill, says it will help Wisconsin children

MADISON, Wis. (WEAU) - Democrat U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin joined an online discussion about the impact of the recently-signed $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill on Wisconsin children on Wednesday.

The event was hosted in part by the advocacy group Opportunity Wisconsin, which says the new child tax credits will deliver up to $1,600 more annually per child to more than one million families.

“It increases the benefit from $2,000 annually to up to $3,600 per child,” said Baldwin.

“It’s a little bit less for older children, but it now includes children who are 17, which it didn’t used to.”

As Democrats continue to stump for the recently-signed bill, Republicans have raised their own concerns after its passage. Republican U.S. Senator Ron Johnson says his concern is over future generations being saddled with long-term debt burdens.

“We don’t have an unlimited checking accounts,” said Johnson.

“I don’t want to appear to be the Scrooge here. I want to help people, but I don’t want to be sending checks to people that have suffered no economic loss because we simply can’t afford it.”