Demand Progress

Restore the Child Tax Credit!

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    Restore the Child Tax Credit!

    Petition to President Biden and Congress:

    Child poverty permanently harms millions of American children, and the Child Tax Credit reduced poverty in 2021 when it was in existence. It's time to bring back the Child Tax Credit and make it permanent.

    10,000,000 children in the US could fall into poverty this year.1

    The Child Tax Credit that lifted millions of American families from poverty expired in December, and millions of children could go hungry as a result. And Senator Joe Manchin is blocking the Child Tax Credit from being renewed.

    Manchin is a coal millionaire who was recently seen driving his Maserati near a crowd of climate protesters.2 Now, he's condemning millions of American children to poverty conditions–food insecurity, homelessness, and the lifelong consequences of childhood poverty.

    There's a ray of hope -- Democrats in Congress are now reviving negotiations over domestic policy bills, and the Child Tax Credit could return. We need Democrats to fight hard and get this done, without letting Manchin stop them again. A large public outcry can help make a big difference.

    Sign the petition and tell Congress: End Child Poverty!

    Child poverty affects students' academic performance, emotional wellbeing, and even brain development.3 In the US, we've seen a rapid decrease in child poverty thanks to the expanded child tax credit–but we're at risk to going back to levels of child poverty similar to those of the Great Recession.4

    Millions of children could suffer because Joe Manchin is in the pockets of large corporations. After voting down the child tax credit and the Build Back Better agenda, Joe Manchin saw a huge increase in corporate campaign donations–totaling more than $250,000.5

    The Democratic Party faces a crucial choice: appeasing Manchin's corporate donors, or reducing child poverty. The stakes are too high for millions of families across the country.

    Tell Biden and Congress: Restore the Child Tax Credit Now!

    Sources:
    1. CNBC, "Millions of kids would fall into poverty if enhanced child tax credit ends," December 7, 2021.
    2. Newsweek, "Joe Manchin Driving Maserati Blocked in Parking Garage by Climate Activists" November 5, 2021.
    3, 4. Econofact, "Child Poverty in the US" February 5, 2021.
    5. CNBC, "Corporate donations to Sen. Joe Manchin's PAC surged as he fought President Biden's agenda" December 21, 2021.