Tell the Senate to Act to Reduce Child Poverty
If passed by the Senate, this bill will lift as many as 400,000 children out of poverty in the first year, rising to 500,000 in 2025. We must advocate that this bill is passed in the Senate.
Our United Methodist tradition affirms a vision of abundant living where all of God’s children have access to sufficient resources to thrive. In our pursuit of seeking justice for the poor, we must support such policies as “meaningful employment opportunities, decent housing, and radical revisions of welfare programs.” (2016 Book of Discipline, Social Principles p163)
The United States House of Representatives passed the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act H.R. 7024, which included a proposal to expand the Child Tax Credit to reduce child poverty. If passed by the Senate, this bill will lift as many as 400,00 children out of poverty in the first year, rising to 500,000 in 2025. We must advocate that this bill is passed in the Senate.
When Congress expanded the CTC in 2021, it increased the maximum amount of the credit from $2,000 per child to $3,600 for children aged 5 and under, and to $3,000 for children up to age 17. In just one year, child poverty dropped by 46% and low-income families were better able to afford basic expenses like housing, food, utilities, and child care. That progress was erased when Congress let the CTC expire at the end of 2021. Congress has a chance to expand the CTC to fix a major flaw in current law: over 19 million children and their families are excluded from the full credit because their parents’ incomes are too low. A single parent, for example, earning $15,000 a year and has two children will receive less from the tax credit than a family with a parent who has a higher paying job. Additionally, families where a parent cannot work due to illness or job loss do not qualify for the CTC at all. Expanding the Child Tax Credit will have immeasurable benefits to families for generations to come.
As United Methodists, we are called to support the poor and challenge the rich by supporting policies that begin to alleviate poverty (Social Principles, Paragraph 163.E). Included in this ministry is the call to advocate for supportive policy and sustainable funding.
Use the form below to contact your senators now to advocate for the passage of the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act.
