First Focus Campaign for Children sent this letter to all 535 members of Congress, calling on them to commit to children by passing all child-related items put forth in the reconciliation package. The letter explains that these provisions cannot be seen as separate policies to choose from, but rather a collective policy and investment decision that, when enacted together, will improve the lives of children today and for years to come.
Excerpt from the letter:
History has shown us when tough negotiations are taking place, funding for children is extremely vulnerable to cuts. In 2009, the Senate recommended a $100 billion reduction in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act — over 40% of which came from child funding. Thankfully, champions for children in Congress did not let that happen and either partially or fully restored many of the original funding levels. We understand difficult decisions are going to be made as Congress works together to finalize the provisions in the Build Back Better Act. We’re calling on you to be the reason Congress doesn’t cut kids.
These policies are life-changing and have enormous support from constituents across the country. In an election-eve poll conducted by First Focus on Children and Lake Research Partners, voters from both political parties overwhelmingly supported actions across the board to address the needs of children. On child health, 85 percent of respondents agreed that it was important to them that every child in the U.S. has health insurance coverage. In regards to child poverty, when specifically asked about expanding the Child Tax Credit and introducing full refundability, a wide margin (71-18%) of polled voters were in favor. For both of these measures, large favorability was maintained when looking at the splits by party affiliation and by presidential candidate preference.