The House of Representatives on Thursday passed a $1 billion package of tax relief that would ease the burden on some of the wealthiest Americans.
The measure, passed with bipartisan support, also includes $100 million to help the families of Americans who die in car accidents.
The House passed the measure after a daylong debate in which lawmakers, including President Donald Trump, spent the day trying to convince lawmakers to support the measure, which they had opposed as a partisan move.
The package would also allow states to impose a two-year moratorium on the estate tax and allow taxpayers to sell their homes for less than the sale price.
The tax cuts would be permanent and could be retroactively applied, according to the House Ways and Means Committee.
Democrats also sought to expand a temporary estate tax exemption for some of their members.
The $1,500 tax credit was originally introduced by Democratic Reps.
Seth Moulton and Earl Blumenauer.
The Democrats have pushed for years to create a temporary exemption for the estates of members of Congress, and the package includes a provision that would allow the same exemption to be extended to the estates and other family members of members who died in the line of duty.
The move to include a permanent exemption for estates was a way for the lawmakers to protect the families and close the gap between the wealthy and the rest of the population.
“It’s not about giving people a handout, it’s about making sure that those people that are getting a hand out are making the right choices,” said Blumenau, the top Democrat on the panel.
The legislation also would allow Americans to transfer assets that are in their name to a spouse, child or other person who is not a U.