Dear Editor:
I knew when the Child Tax Credit (CTC) was not renewed at the end of 2021, there would be serious consequences. However, I wasn’t expecting it to be as extreme as we have recently learned. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, since Congress allowed the Child Tax Credit to expire, child poverty in 2022 has doubled. This was the largest single year increase on record.
When the Child Tax Credit was originally passed, it would lift millions out of poverty… reducing it to 46%. Finally, something was being done about a problem that has been increasing since the 1970’s. Never mind, it has been with us since the country’s founding.
The Child Tax Credit was working, too. Families were able to meet basic needs, such as food, housing and rent. Friends of mine, who benefitted from the policy, began to see a better future for their children. The ongoing emotional and physical pressures that come with poverty – were beginning to ease. Here was irrefutable proof that poverty was solvable. Yet, Congress failed America’s children again – when they did not continue the CTC – at the end of 2021.
The purpose of this letter is to remind lawmakers, as well as the public, how catastrophic the loss of the Child Tax Credit will be. Without it, the repercussions will be felt for years. Therefore, the reinstatement of the expanded and refundable Child Tax Credit is vital for the future of our nation.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, (OECD) is a forum made up of 37 democracies. For 50 years, its purpose has been to provide an environment where governments can compare experiences, seek answers to common challenges, identify good practices, and develop high standards for economic policy. It includes countries such as Denmark, New Zealand, Spain and the United Kingdom. According to their findings, the United States is consistently ranked as one of the worst in child poverty rates. With America’s status as the richest country in the world, we simply cannot accept this.
Lastly, I would like to thank Senator Sherrod Brown for his leadership in promoting a Child Tax Credit that benefitted the lowest income families, and I call on Ohio’s junior Senator JD Vance to do the same.
Juanita Brown
Columbus, Ohio
Editor’s Note: The views expressed in this commentary piece do not necessarily the express the opinions of The Cincinnati Herald.