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Statement

Republicans Own the Massive, Devastating Spike In Child Poverty the Census Bureau Reported Today Because They Blocked Continuation of the Expanded Child Tax Credit

September 12, 2023
Early Care & Education, Federal Budget, Health Care

Lisa Lederer, 202/371-1996

Statement of Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, Executive Director and CEO of MomsRising, the online and on-the-ground organization of more than one million mothers and their families, on today’s Census Bureau report that child poverty in the United States skyrocketed in 2022:

“Policy matters. When Republicans in Congress blocked measures that would have continued the expanded Child Tax Credit, they stopped people from being able to afford child care and other essentials that make it possible for them to work and care for their families. This had dramatically harmful repercussions, including a punishing, painful spike in child poverty – and poverty overall – that the country is experiencing, which hurts our nation’s businesses and its economy.

“The U.S. Census Bureau reported today that the U.S. poverty rate skyrocketed from 7.8% in 2021 to 12.4% in 2022 – the biggest one-year jump in history. Poverty among children more than doubled from 5.2% in 2021 to 12.4% last year. That is a direct result of Republicans in Congress blocking continuation of the expanded Child Tax Credit and other badly needed programs created during the pandemic. Poverty is even more prevalent among families of color, immigrant families and those in rural communities due to entrenched structural racism that we have failed to address.

“Congressional Republicans caused even more harm to moms, children, and families when they let the pandemic SNAP relief expire this summer. And they will intensify the hardship moms, children, and families are facing if they fail to address the child care ‘cliff’ that is fast approaching and the shortfall in funding for the WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children) that looms.

“We also see how much policy matters in the very welcome drop in people without health insurance, which declined from 8.3% in 2021 to 7.9% last year. That progress was driven by the Biden/Harris administration’s focus on making health insurance affordable, and by the fact that nobody was dropped from Medicaid last year. Regrettably, that Medicaid policy is now ending as well.

“America’s moms want Republicans to finally prioritize families over tax breaks for corporations by passing the Working Family Tax Relief Act (S 1992) and the American Family Act (HR 3899) to restore the expanded Child Tax Credit, rejecting cuts and time limits for SNAP and school nutrition programs, investing in child care and the child care workforce, and fully funding WIC and other programs families need. Until they do, avoidable poverty will continue causing lasting harm to children, families, communities, our economy, and our country.”

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MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, stop discrimination against women and moms, and build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: www.MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.