Media Contact:
Jordan Baker jbaker@frac.org202-640-1118
Statement attributable to Luis Guardia, President, Food Research & Action Center (FRAC)
WASHINGTON, January 29, 2024 — FRAC urgently calls on Congress to expeditiously pass the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act due to its improvements to the Child Tax Credit (CTC).
Under this bill, approximately 16 million out of the 19 million children currently left out of the full or any CTC will benefit, and an estimated 400,000 children will be lifted above the poverty line.
Congress must seize this opportunity and act now so that more families with children struggling to make ends meet can get these enhanced tax credits this tax season.
While this tax package falls somewhat short of the comprehensive improvements made through the American Rescue Plan Act with the expanded 2021 CTC, it will go a long way in addressing our nation’s hunger crisis and represents a critical step to build on.
The expanded CTC was a proven tool for addressing hunger and its root causes during the COVID-19 pandemic by providing a lifeline for families with children to put food on the table and pay housing expenses, debts, and child care. After it expired at the start of 2022, households with children reported a 25 percent increase in not having enough to eat.
Exacerbated by high food and housing costs as well as the unwinding of the expanded 2021 CTC and other pandemic relief measures, hunger and poverty have continued to soar.
Investing in families by strengthening the CTC is vital to eliminating hunger in this country and creating a more prosperous and equitable society.
FRAC urges the House to pass this bipartisan, bicameral tax package. Once passed, the Senate must quickly take up this legislation without delay and reject any amendments that could weaken or limit the impact these provisions would have for families struggling against hunger and poverty.
Hungry families can’t wait.
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The Food Research & Action Center improves the nutrition, health, and well-being of people struggling against poverty-related hunger in the United States through advocacy, partnerships, and by advancing bold and equitable policy solutions. To learn more, visit FRAC.org and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
