Washington – An amendment authored by U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) would deny children access to the refundable Child Tax Credit (CTC). The amendment, filed for possible consideration during Senate floor debate over legislation to restore military pension benefits, would make millions of children – the vast majority of whom are United States citizens – ineligible for the refundable CTC if their parents file federal income tax returns using an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN), instead of a Social Security Number. In response, the First Focus Campaign for Children released the following statement from First Focus Campaign for Children President Bruce Lesley:

“It’s wrong to target any child, especially when child poverty is already at the highest level in a generation. This proposal targets millions of the most vulnerable children in America and threatens to drive even more children into poverty. And our message to members of Congress: find a smarter solution, and don’t cut kids.”

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The First Focus Campaign for Children is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization affiliated with First Focus, a bipartisan children’s advocacy organization. The Campaign for Children advocates directly for legislative change in Congress to ensure children and families are the priority in federal policy and budget decisions. For more information, visit www.ffcampaignforchildren.org.