Before the New Year, Congress passed a $1.7 trillion spending bill that increased funding for many human needs programs. But a glaring omission was the lack of the expanded Child Tax Credit. We’re grateful for our allies in Congress who held strong and opposed over $600 billion in corporate tax cuts, providing us with leverage to pass the expanded Child Tax Credit this year.

In 2021, the Child Tax Credit was expanded and the full credit was made available to families with the lowest incomes for the first time in its history. As a result, child poverty fell by 46% in 2021, with Black and Hispanic child poverty falling by 6.3% in each community, impacting 716,000 Black children and 1.2 million Hispanic children.

Political gridlock kept the CTC from being expanded in 2022 and we are determined to not let that happen in 2023. Corporate interests still want their tax breaks. We need President Biden to say loud and clear that they won’t get them if children and families are left out.

The gains made during the expansion in 2021 have since eroded. Renewing the expanded monthly Child Tax Credit is not only the morally right thing to do, but it’s politically popular. 85% of parents with babies and toddlers want Congress to take swift action in passing the expanded Child Tax Credit.¹ 80% of all voters surveyed said tax breaks for wealthy corporations should not be passed until Congress reinstates the monthly Child Tax Credit.² 86% of Democrats, 77% of independents and 64% of Republicans believe passing the expanded Child Tax Credit is a legislative priority.

If the Child Tax Credit isn’t expanded, 19 million children and their families will continue to be excluded from the full credit because their parents' income is too low.

Families where a parent can’t work due to illness or being laid off, cannot qualify for the Child Tax Credit at all. And many parents who work at low wages cannot get the full CTC. A single parent earning $15,000 a year and who has two children, will receive less than a family with a parent who has a higher paying job. This is a flaw that does nothing but exacerbate inequity and accelerate the racial wealth gap.

We cannot allow that inequity to continue to flourish in 2023. Write a letter to President Biden today urging him to use his bully pulpit to keep fighting for the expanded the Child Tax Credit.

Click “START WRITING” to send a message directly to President Joe Biden that says “no corporate tax cuts without the expanded Child Tax Credit for children and families!”

We’ve provided a suggested message, but feel free to edit to have an even greater impact. If you have children, grandchildren, or dependents, let him know. If you're a parent, let him know. And remember, the message is: Corporations shouldn’t get special tax credits while children and families are left behind. Expand the Child Tax Credit now!

¹ https://www.zerotothree.org/news/new-poll-shows-85-of-parents-of-babies-and-toddlers-want-swift-congressional-action-to-reinstate-child-tax-credit-reforms/
² https://economicsecurityproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Lake-ESP-CTC-slides-Sep2022.pdf