It’s the Christmas Season, a time when our hearts grow a few sizes larger. As our members of Congress wrap up the year, I hope their hearts will remember America’s children and vote in line with the spirit of Christmas. Their votes on the Child Tax Credit (CTC) could help families long beyond the holiday season.

Far too many American children live in poverty. Nearly 19 million of our country’s poorest children lost aid when the expansion of the CTC expired a year ago. Their parents’ income was too low (you read that right) to qualify for a tax credit. The specter of needy children should make all of us pause and ask what we can do to alleviate suffering.

One act is to contact our members of Congress and ask them to include an expanded child tax credit in end-of-the-year legislation. Ask them to prioritize the needs of American families at all income levels.

The CTC has had bipartisan support, including from the Trump and the Biden administrations. The original commission which recommended the CTC came during the Reagan administration.

It’s not just because one’s party makes no difference in caring for children and reducing childhood poverty. It’s also because across party lines the CTC makes financial and familial sense. For every $1 put in, we get as much as $2 back. Children with these resources are more likely to graduate from college, and they hold better jobs in the long run. It allows families to prioritize having a parent care for children in the home.

The CTC makes sense whether you are judging with your head or with your heart.

Please support the renewal of the CTC and support America’s children.

Dr. Lisa Rampton Halverson, Springville

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