The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC) expresses profound disappointment over the Senate’s failure to advance the bipartisan Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024. The expansion of the child tax credit (CTC) is one of the most effective means of reducing child poverty in the United States, particularly at a time when rising costs are burdening families struggling to make ends meet.
During the height of the pandemic, the expanded child tax credit significantly alleviated poverty and hunger, providing critical support to families in need. However, the expiration of these expanded benefits in 2021 has led to a troubling increase in child poverty and hunger, reversing the progress made in recent years.
The bipartisan legislation, which passed the House 357-70 in February, unfortunately did not advance in the Senate due to a failed attempt to invoke cloture on a vote of 48 to 44. The proposed CTC expansion had the potential to lift as many as 400,000 children above the poverty line. It would have provided essential relief to more than 80 percent of the roughly 19 million children under age 17 in low-income families, benefiting nearly 16 million children in the first year alone. Additionally, nearly three million children under age 3 would have been included in this expansion.
The NCC stands on the belief that it is a moral imperative to support policies that uplift the most vulnerable among us, particularly our children.
“The child tax credit is a proven tool in the fight against poverty, and its expansion is critical to ensuring that all children have the opportunity to thrive,” stated Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie, NCC President and General Secretary.
We call on our elected officials to prioritize the well-being of children and families by swiftly reintroducing and passing legislation that expands the child tax credit. Our faith compels us to advocate for justice and compassion, and we urge the Senate to act with urgency and moral clarity on this crucial issue.
Proverbs 31:8-9 (NRSVUE) says, “Speak out for those who cannot speak, for the rights of all the destitute. Speak out, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.” We are called to defend the rights of the poor and needy, and it is our duty to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.