Washington Can Help Families Without Spending More

If we are living in a golden age, where’s the cash? Ask a parent: It’s not in their pockets. Nor is it sitting in federal coffers. Future taxpayer dollars have already been spent to the tune of $1.9 trillion, creating a deficit that will grow to $3.1 trillion in 2036, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

New programs can better support families, but they too often cost a lot to get relatively little. Consider that the two largest transfers to American children this year (except for changes in overall tax brackets) are the $1,000 in seed money for Trump Accounts and a $200 child tax credit expansion indexed to inflation.