It’s hard to think of a value more traditional and basic than the responsibility of parents to nurture their children. So unless you think government shouldn’t help anybody ever, the most conservative use of taxpayer money would be to strengthen the ability of families to carry out this duty. Another virtue conservatives tout is the value of work as a path to self-sufficiency. So when offered the chance to give hard-working lower-income parents a bit of a boost, why not seize the opportunity? Here’s the small miracle of 2024: Despite Washington’s ideological and partisan divisions, the House of Representatives came together late last month to do exactly that. On a vote of 357 to 70, the House expanded the child tax credit as part of a bill that also extended some business tax breaks.

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