From the Coalition on Human Needs (http://www.chn.org):
Call Monday, December 9!
“We need you to ensure that any tax package passing this year must include improvements to the low-income tax credits: the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit.”
Right now, the Senate is trying to agree on an end-of-year tax package. It will include breaks for businesses. We need all Democratic senators to stand firm to ensure that any tax package helps low-wage workers and their children, not just business. Improvements in the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit (CTC) are needed to help millions more working families and individuals better provide for basic needs.
On Monday, December 9th, please call: 1-888-678-9475
Alternatively, you can call directly—find contact information:
- Senator Robert Casey: http://casey.senate.gov
- Senator Pat Toomey: http://toomey.senate.gov
When you do you will be connected with your Senator’s DC office. When you are connected please ask the receptionist who answers your call to share this message with your Senator and their lead tax staff person:
“Ensure that any tax package passing this year must include improvements to the low-income tax credits: the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit.”
Your call really can make a difference. Improvements to these low-income tax credits will only be included if enough Democratic senators make this help to low-income workers and children a must-pass priority.
Senators need to hear that now is the time to ensure that low-income workers and children are not left behind.
Two needed improvements:
- While the Child Tax Credit was increased in the 2017 tax law, that mostly left out low-income working families with 11.4 million children; they are gaining only $75 or less. The CTC can be improved to direct more help to the lowest-income families.
- The EITC for low-wage workers who aren’t raising children in their home is often too small even to offset the income and payroll taxes that these workers must pay and doesn’t cover workers of all ages. Five million of these workers are taxed into or deeper into poverty because their EITC is so small. There’s been bipartisan support for increasing their EITC, but so far no action. Let’s make that improvement now!
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