SojoAction Alert - Poverty is a Policy Choice

Every so often, Congress has the opportunity to make historic choices that seal the legacy of their two-year session together. That opportunity is now, when the House and Senate have limited days left in the legislative calendar before the new session begins. It’s time to put together and pass policies that could make life easier for us, our loved ones, and our communities.   Proverbs 3:27 teaches us, “Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.” In a time where many are just making it through their day-to-day, we ask that you lift your voices and tell your elected representatives, “Do not withhold the Child Tax Credit from families and children in need.”  Email Your Senators What’s At Stake: In 2021, Congress expanded the Child Tax Credit (CTC) and reduced child poverty to a record low. The CTC is a fully refundable tax benefit of a monthly payment to help alleviate financial hardship and provide resources for families raising children. Families use the money to cover the cost of basic needs, like housing, food, transportation, and child care. Last December, Congress allowed the expanded credit to expire, pushing nearly 4 million children back into poverty. Additionally, there are 19 million children nationally who are not receiving the full CTC because their families do not earn enough money. This is a profound moral failure that does not align with our faith values.     Act Now We need you to join us in reminding your Senator that they have a sacred responsibility and duty to protect the best interests and futures of our children. Our nation's historically high child poverty rate is a policy choice, one that allows children to be exposed to poverty and its lifelong negative impacts on their health, well-being, and development. Recent Census Data confirmed that the American Rescue Plan’s expansion of the Child Tax Credit succeeded in driving child poverty sharply downward in 2021. This reveals the fundamental truth: Congress has the power to put families first with a proven-effective strategy to reduce child poverty and boost incomes for people who aren't paid enough to make ends meet by permanently expanding the Child Tax Credit.  By emailing your Senator today, you can match the urgency of this moment in history and call on the Senate to prioritize the vulnerable by requesting the inclusion of an expanded, fully refundable, monthly Child Tax Credit (CTC) in any end of the year tax extender package.  Email Your Senators In faith, Lauren Lauren W. Reliford, MSW Political Director

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