“This was a huge missed opportunity to improve the lives of over 16 million kids and lift more than 400,000 kids out of poverty,” said Cohen.
Contact: Ryan Flaherty, rflaherty@strength.org
8/1/24, WASHINGTON, DC — Today, a proposed bill that would have expanded the Child Tax Credit failed to move forward in the Senate. This bill–which has already passed the House with bipartisan support–would have ensured the full credit reached more families with low or no income. The following is a statement from Parker Cohen, Managing Director for Share Our Strength and its No Kid Hungry campaign:
“We're disappointed the Senate chose not to move forward with this expansion to the Child Tax Credit that would have helped millions of families buy essentials, like food and diapers, or pay for child care. This was a huge missed opportunity to improve the lives of over 16 million kids and lift more than 400,000 kids out of poverty.
“We’ve seen that expanding the Child Tax Credit works. Child poverty dropped by 43% the last time the credit was expanded but then spiked once those changes expired. While this bill would not completely restore those same improvements, it was a meaningful step in the right direction.
“This bill received overwhelming bipartisan support in the House, showing lawmakers can work together to help families. We will continue to advocate for Congress to prioritize protecting and improving policies like the Child Tax Credit and SNAP that will help end poverty, feed kids and improve families’ lives.”
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About No Kid Hungry
No child should go hungry in America. But millions of kids in the United States live with hunger. No Kid Hungry is working to end childhood hunger by helping launch and improve programs that give all kids the healthy food they need to thrive. This is a problem we know how to solve. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization committed to ending hunger and poverty.