Call to action: #CTC Social Media Storm: Calling on Congress to Reinstate the Child Tax Credit Now! December 7th.
It’s URGENT that Congress members extend the expanded refundable Child Tax Credit before 2022 comes to a close.
US Census data shows that child poverty was cut 46% to a record low of 5.2% in 2021, mostly due to the expanded Child Tax Credit. But Congress did not extend the CTC when it ended in December 2021, and desperate families are again struggling to buy food, pay rent, make car repairs, and keep up with other bills. Since the expanded CTC ended, millions of children are going hungry as mothers and caregivers are forced to work even harder to avoid homelessness and criminalization, disproportionately so in Black, Indigenous, Latina and other communities of color.
Families are struggling because they are impoverished, and soaring inflation is making that struggle harder. According to the Kairos Center, 40% of the country is struggling to meet their typical expenses. And as the Poor People’s Campaign says, official poverty measures hide millions who are one emergency away from poverty.
“The CTC was helping me catch up on my bills, but now I’m going to have to be starting all over again. Plus food prices went up, and food’s going up more. With the CTC being shut off, some people’s going to be hungry again. That’s going to be a struggle because they ain’t upping your food stamps.” –Grandmother caring for 3 grandchildren in Philadelphia
Make sure CTC covers all families including those with low/no income. And No Work Requirements in any deal, mothers & caregivers are already working!
The US spends less than any other industrialized nation supporting families with children. Like family allowance or child benefit in other industrialized countries, the expanded CTC needs to be reinstated in the US and be available to immigrant families. It must be ‘fully refundable,’ covering families including those with income too low to pay taxes who have been excluded from some tax credits. And no work requirements – what job is more important than raising the next generation? Raising children is real work and moms and grandmas shouldn’t be required to get a “real job” to qualify. Our work is essential to the functioning of the entire society, estimated at $1.5 trillion/year in the US paid at minimum wage. Children need the CTC – mothers and other primary caregivers have earned it.
“What it means is we’re really struggling again. What it means is I have to decide whether to fix my car to do my delivery job or to pay rent on time. It means my daughter’s glasses broke and I can’t afford to get her new ones until her insurance kicks in. We’re struggling over which bills to pay and which not to pay.” Indigenous mother in Altoona PA.
No tax breaks for wealthy corporations without extending the CTC for families too.
80% of voters agreed that Congress shouldn’t pass any more tax breaks for wealthy corporations unless they reinstate the CTC for families, too. Urge your members of Congress to join the growing coalition of Senators and Representatives saying they will not vote for corporate tax breaks without also giving American families a tax break and reviving the expanded CTC. President Biden is taking a firm stance and he also recently stated that he won’t support any new tax cuts for wealthy corporations unless they are passed together with the CTC.
On Wednesday, Dec. 7th, be part of the national Twitter Storm letting Congress know families urgently need them to reinstate the Child Tax Credit!
| Instructions: Copy and paste each message below into a new tweet on Twitter. You can add your own member of Congress’ tags. For instance, in California you could add @SenatorFeinstein and @SenAlexPadilla to the message to get their attention. Add one of the attached graphics if you’d like. Then click “Tweet”. |
| Poverty need not be always with us — it’s a policy choice. The #ChildTaxCredit expansion was one of the most effective antipoverty policies in a generation. We’re calling on Congress to prioritize our children & pass the expanded #CTCNow. |
| #ChildTaxCredit cut child poverty to lowest level ever in US. Children urgently need you to act now. @HouseDemocrats @HouseDemocrats don’t support any new tax cuts for wealthy corporations unless passed together with extending the #CTC. |
| #ChildTaxCredit cut child poverty in 2021. But since it ended, families struggle to keep food on table, esp in Black & Brown communities. Congress reinstate fully-refundable #CTCNow! |
| US spends less than any industrial nation supporting families w children. @SpeakerPelosi @SenSchumer Members of Congress URGENT you reinstate #ChildTaxCredit, make it permanent, fully-refundable & without work requirements. Children need it & mothers have earned it! #CTCNow |
| US child poverty fell to record low in 2021, but families again face crises in food, housing & more. @SpeakerPelosi @SenSchumer @HouseDemocrats @SenateDems, reinstate the expanded #ChildTaxCredit. Children need it, mothers have earned it! No corporate tax breaks without #CTCNow |
| Mothers & caregivers raise children, care for people when sick, hold communities together. Essential but unpaid work worth $1.5T+/yr. Congress reinstate the #ChildTaxCredit! Children need it, mothers have earned it. #CTCNow! |
| @HouseDemocrats @SenateDems reinstate #ChildTaxCreditNow! Incl all families regardless of income & all immigrants. No work requirements, mothers/caregivers already work hard! US families w children deserve permanent family allowance as in all other industrialized nations. |
| All immigrant families must get #ChildTaxCredit. “#CTC really had impact on our quality of life, as a single mom of a young daughter, caring for 2 elderly parents.” Immigrant single mother Philly Congress. @SpeakerPelosi @SenSchumer reinstate expanded #CTCNow! |
| Mothers/caregivers do essential work raising children, caring for sick, feeding neighborhoods … worth $1.5T+/year. But US is only industrial nation w no family allowance. Families need & mothers have earned both #CTCNow & a Guaranteed #CareIncome. |
Also call your 2 Senators and your Representative. Find their phone numbers by entering your zip code at Find your member of Congress or call the Capitol Switchboard 202‑224‑3121.
And write them, use https://actionnetwork.org/letters/prioritize-children-bring-back-the-child-tax-credit/
