Today, First Focus Campaign for Children sent a letter to Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, author of S. 3798, which would deny millions of U.S. citizen children access to the Child Tax Credit, to express our opposition to the bill.
Excerpt from the letter:
At First Focus Campaign for Children, we believe every child is precious and worthy of an opportunity to thrive and make the most of their lives. Unfortunately, our nation’s children are in crisis. We have a rising rate of infant mortality for the first time in decades and child mortality rates that are much higher than that in other wealthy nations. We saw the supplemental poverty measure (SPM) for children more than double between 2021 and 2022 – from 5.2% to 12.4% – with the expiration of the expanded Child Tax Credit. That rate, as you know, is much higher in Mississippi, where the rate is the highest in the nation.1 We need all of our nation’s children to thrive and flourish. Unfortunately, child poverty and lack of investment in the future of children negatively impacts every aspect of their lives, including their health, education, nutrition, housing, and rates of child abuse and juvenile justice. We should strive to do everything in our power to improve the lives of our children rather than impose additional barriers and limit their lifetime opportunities.