Senator Santorum Applauds Extension of WOTC and W-t-W Tax Credits

Senator Santorum Applauds Extension of WOTC and W-t-W Tax Credits

U.S. Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA), Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, today applauded the extension of the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) and Welfare-to-Work (W-t-W) Tax Credit. These provisions were included in the Tax Relief Act of 2005, which passed in the Senate early this morning by a vote of 64-33.

"I am grateful to my colleagues in the Senate for recognizing the importance of extending these programs and incorporating the reforms from my bill S. 595, the Encouraging Work Act of 2005," said Senator Santorum. "WOTC and W-t-W tax credits have proven to be successful in producing job opportunities across the country. Extending these programs will help even more Americans shift from receiving welfare checks to receiving paychecks that will help move them towards greater self-sufficiency."

The Work Opportunity Tax Credit and Welfare-to-Work programs expand and consolidate incentives for employers to hire low-income Americans. In addition, WOTC and W-t-W would be extended through the end of 2006. This measure would build on the success of welfare reform by providing these programs with greater stability, encouraging more employers to participate, making investments in expanding outreach to identify and train potential workers, and avoiding the uncertainty and inefficiency of termination and renewal. Employers in retail, healthcare, hotel, financial services and food industries have successfully incorporated WOTC and W-t-W into their hiring practices.

Senator Santorum has worked in a bipartisan fashion over the last two Congresses on these important initiatives. This measure is also part of the Senate Anti-Poverty Agenda that Senator Santorum helped to unveil earlier this year.

http://santorum.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressOffice.View&ContentRecord_id=1542&Region_id=0&Issue_id=0