February 4, 2009

Click here to read Half in Ten’s summary on the Child Tax Credit (CTC) and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

From the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, a Half in Ten partner-

Take Action Now:

Call your senators at 202-224-3121 and tell them to help the children and families most in need by passing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (S.1) with a Child Tax Credit (CTC) without an earnings threshold. Read more »

February 2, 2009—

If you don’t act now, the Obama economic recovery plan, which creates and saves millions of jobs, protects people from hardship, and invests in shared prosperity, could be derailed.

Please join a national call today, Feb. 2 at 4pm eastern time (3pm central, 2pm mountain, 1pm pacific).

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Both the House and Senate economic recovery bills would expand the federal Child Tax Credit, but there’s a major difference between them. Twelve million low-income children would benefit more from the House version: 2.2 million additional low-income children would qualify for the credit and 10 million more would receive a larger credit. The House approach would translate into an additional $3.9 billion total for very low-income families.

The difference between the two approaches occurs because the House bill counts all family earnings when calculating its Child Tax Credit, while the Senate bill only counts earnings exceeding $6,000 a year. Working families with earnings below $6,000 are therefore helped under the House bill, but not the Senate version, and other low-earning families get a larger credit under the House bill because all of their earnings are considered when the credit is calculated.
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From the Coalition on Human Needs

Click here to read the letter sent to members of Congress on February 9, 2009.

Organizations: Sign a Letter Supporting Child Tax Credit Help for 13 Million Children - and create jobs at the same time!

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The economic recovery bill introduced in the House of Representatives would make a major improvement in the federal Child Tax Credit. The bill would diminish an inequity that has made the current credit unavailable to the poorest working families with children. The improvement would be temporary — structured to last for the next two years. But, at a time when millions of families are struggling due to job losses, reduced hours, and low wages, the improved credit would both help provide needed stimulus to the economy and help low-income working families make ends meet.

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From the Coalition on Human Needs

On October 3, its final day in session, Congress passed and the President signed into law a major improvement in the Child Tax Credit that will help 13 million low-income children. The provision makes families with earnings of $8,500 or more eligible for a partial Child Tax Credit although they don’t earn enough to owe federal income taxes (called a “refundable” credit). Approximately 2.9 million children will become newly eligible for the credit and 10.1 million will receive a larger credit. Without the improvement families would have had to earn at least $12,050 in 2008 to be eligible for the partial credit. The reduced earnings requirement was enacted for one year; although advocates have hopes it will not be too difficult to persuade Congress to extend it.
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By the Center for American Progress’ Joy Moses

Attached to Congress’ approval of the bailout package is a brief two sentence provision that will bring welcome relief to the families of over 13 million low-income children. The provision expands the reach of the Child Tax Credit, which will help families cope with the growing financial challenges associated with the current economy.
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The biggest news in the final days of this Congress was the financial crisis and the bailout legislation attempting to respond to it.

We should take note of some items particularly important to low- and moderate-income people, and to all working Americans.
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Lisa Donner, the Executive Director of Half in Ten, contributes to Politico’s “Dear 44: Ideas for the Next President” series:

What should the 44th president do about poverty in our great nation? He should make cutting poverty a clear goal of his administration and prioritize a set of initiatives that will make the most significant contributions to meeting it. We can — and should — cut poverty in half in the next 10 years.
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This petition is no longer active.

Victory for Low Income Children! Sen. Baucus Supports Expanded CTC!
In order to start cutting poverty in half, one of Half in Ten’s first priorities is to expand the Child Tax Credit to help millions of poor children in America. Current law denies the CTC to millions of poor children and their families simply because they earn too little to owe federal income tax. The House has approved H.R. 6049, expanding the CTC, and now it’s time for the Senate to do the same and help millions of children.

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