Protect the Child Tax Credit

Recipient: U.S. Senate

View the PDF of this letter here.

Dear Senator:

On behalf of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, we urge you to oppose any proposal that would restrict eligibility for the Child Tax Credit. Any restriction would amount to a tax increase on many of the lowest-income families among us. It is punitive and counterproductive to our national economic recovery.

Restricting the Child Tax Credit or the Additional Child Tax Credit will harshly impact children – millions of whom are U.S. citizens, but all of whom are worthy of our support. These proposals target up to five million children – most of whom are Latino and many of whom have been spared from poverty by the Child Tax Credit.

Such a restriction is also economically unsound. The Child Tax Credit provides an immediate and significant stimulus effect on our economy, second only to unemployment insurance, as the families receiving such credits are especially likely to quickly spend them.

There are far less harmful alternatives to offset the costs of extending the emergency unemployment insurance program than restricting the eligibility requirements. Even the most modest increase in taxes on millionaires would do more to offset the payroll tax cuts, without jeopardizing the ability of low-income parents to feed, clothe, and shelter their children.

For these reasons, we urge you to reject any restriction in the Child Tax Credit and protect our children.  Thank you for your consideration. If you have any questions, feel free to contact either of us, or Senior Counsel Rob Randhava, at (202) 466-3311.

Sincerely,

Wade Henderson
President & CEO

Nancy Zirkin
Executive Vice President