From the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center (http://www.pennbpc.org):
HARRISBURG – Senator Robert Casey today joined Senators Sherrod Brown, Michael Bennet, Dick Durbin, and Ron Wyden to introduce the Working Families Tax Relief Act, legislation that would begin to fix our tax laws to help working people with low-wage jobs make ends meet as they work to support themselves and their families. The proposal would strengthen the highly successful Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for working families with children and working people without children at home, ensure that millions of poor children aren’t left out of the Child Tax Credit (CTC), and boost the CTC for families with very young children.
“Many of Pennsylvania’s low-income working families are struggling to stay afloat as costs have risen faster than their pay over several decades,” said Jeff Garis of the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center. “The Working Families Tax Relief Act would give working people a fair shot to get ahead and help low-income parents give their children a good start in life.” (Read more details about The Working Families Tax Relief Act here.)
In Pennsylvania, the proposal would make 1,641,000 low- and middle-income families more financially secure, benefiting more than four million Pennsylvanians, many of whom are children.
The proposal stands in stark contrast to the 2017 tax law, which was heavily tilted in favor of corporations and the wealthy. For example, a single mom of two earning $20,000 a year would get a $3,700 boost to her income. And, a married couple with two young kids making $45,000 a year would get a $3,500 boost.
For working families, this would mean more money for basic necessities, home repairs, maintaining a car to get to work, or in some cases, additional education or training to get a better, higher-paying job.
Nationally, the Working Families Tax Relief Act would cut child poverty by 28 percent, lifting 3.1 million children out of poverty and making another 7.7 million children less poor.
“The Working Families Tax Relief Act would have lasting benefits for millions of children,” said Garis. “Kids whose families receive working family tax credits do better in school, are likelier to attend college, and are likely to earn more as adults.”
The Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center calls on Senator Pat Toomey, along with the rest of Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation, to substantially strengthen the EITC and CTC and help give working people and their children a fair shot to get ahead.
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