The Harris tax credit bill, called the LIFT the Middle Class Act, could also have implications for higher ed access -- although the legislation wouldn’t have the same focus on assisting students from the poorest families. The proposal would function like a beefed-up version of the earned income tax credit and phase in quickly for individuals and married couples who work. [...]
But the bill has the support of some progressive outfits like Demos because of its antipoverty potential overall, said Mark Huelsman, a senior policy analyst at Demos. The windfall from the tax credit could help address both stagnant wages and inequality, he said.
“You're seeing policy proposals now that match the scale of the problem,” Huelsman said. “If you believe that inequality is a generationally defining crisis, it's going to take a large investment to address that. If you believe the racial wealth gap is a crisis-level problem, it’s going to take some serious investments to address that.”
