Press Release

Representatives Rosa DeLauro, Suzan DelBene, and Ritchie Torres Join Advocates in Call For Permanent Expansion of Child Tax Credit

05. 06. 2021

New polling shows that a majority of likely voters support the expanded tax credit, want it to be paid for by taxing wealthy Americans

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Thursday, May 6th, 2021

WASHINGTON, DC – Ahead of Mother’s Day, Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Suzan DelBene (D-WA), and Ritchie Torres (D-NY) joined advocates to call for a permanent expansion of the recently expanded Child Tax Credit, set to begin going out to parents in July.

New polling released at the press conference, conducted by Data for Progress, found that the expanded Child Tax Credit is popular with Democratic and Republican voters, and that a majority want it to be paid for by raising taxes on wealthy Americans.

Representatives DeLauro, Delbene and Torres were joined by advocates from Community Change, Community Voices Heard, Economic Security Project Action, and Groundwork Action, who have all advocated for a permanent expansion of the expanded Child Tax Credit. Click here to watch highlights from the press call.

The new polling from Data for Progress found:

• By a15-point margin (54% support to 39% opposed), likely voters support the expansion of the Child Tax Credit passed in the American Rescue Plan. This includes majorities of both Democrats and Independents. 
• Among voters who say they would likely be eligible for the CTC, 80% support the policy.
• An 18-point majority (55% to 37%) support paying for the expanded CTC by raising taxes on Americans making more than $400,000 and Americans who make over $1 million through investments.
• A strong 30-point majority (59% to 29%) support distributing the CTC monthly, instead of in one lump sum. 81% of likely voters who say they would likely be eligible for the CTC support monthly payments.
• Less than half (47%) of likely voters have heard some or a lot about this policy, a number that is likely to grow after payments begin in July. 
• 71% support the IRS opening a simplified filing portal to help people claim their CTC, modeled on the successful “non-filer portal” created for stimulus checks.

“Sunday is Mother’s Day, and as we recover from the greatest public health and economic crisis in a generation, I cannot think of a better gift than to give all mothers the financial security for their families that comes with permanently expanding and improving the Child Tax Credit,” said Congresswoman DeLauro. “This polling along with the new data I unveiled last week highlighting the number of kids in each district who will benefit from the expanded and improved Child Tax Credit show that the argument for making this permanent has never been stronger. We have the opportunity to transform lives, provide a lifeline to the middle class, and cut child poverty in half. We cannot let this moment pass.”

“The expansion of the Child Tax Credit in the American Rescue Plan is vital to helping families get through the COVID-19 crisis. However, kids don’t grow up in one year or five years and that’s why we need to make the expansion permanent,” said DelBene. “This will help us rebuild the middle class and lift millions of children out of poverty, giving them a fair chance at success. This proposal has majority support across the country and we have momentum in Congress. Now we must seize on this moment to make the Child Tax Credit expansion permanent.”

“As we confront the greatest economic downturn since the Great Depression, millions of Americans are experiencing immense hardship. There is no policy that would do more to lift American families out of poverty than a permanently expanded Child Tax Credit. We must use this moment to permanently expand the Child Tax Credit in order to address inequities and provide a brighter future for children across this country,” said Rep. Ritchie Torres (NY15).

“Voters are overwhelmingly clear: it’s time to permanently expand the Child Tax Credit. Data for Progress and Center for Community Change Action polling finds majority support for not just permanently expanding the Child Tax Credit, but raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans to pay for it,” said Sean McElwee, Executive Director of Data for Progress. “Our polling finds a majority of both Democrats and Independents support expanding this critical policy, a significant margin of support lawmakers should note.”

“The Biden Administration and Congress have an opportunity to cement a legacy of a more just and prosperous America by making the Child Tax Credit permanent,” said Chris Hughes, Co-Founder of Economic Security Project Action. “Making these changes permanent would ensure that families, not just in the next year or two but generations from now, have an opportunity to live without the worry of how they’ll be able to afford basic needs. We must also make sure that the tax credit is available to all who are eligible by having the IRS reopen the simplified filing portal to make it easier for people who don’t have to file taxes.”

“Permanent child tax credit expansions will benefit all families, from those who are struggling on the margins to make ends meet, to middle-income families who have seen their wealth decline over the last decades of historic inequality,” said Dorian Warren, Co-President of Community Change. “This economic boon would also be a step in repairing harm to Black families after a legacy of racism, sexism and discrimination that has led to huge wealth and wage gaps. Now we need to make sure all families, regardless of their immigration status, have access to these historic benefits.”

“Permanently expanding the Child Tax Credit is one of the best things Congress and the Biden Administration can do to put money in families’ pockets and make sure our economy is working for everyone, not just the wealthiest few,” said Lindsay Owens, interim executive director of Groundwork Action. “This is a perfect example of a policy that is good for families, good for the economy, and overwhelmingly popular.”

“At Community Voices Heard we have fought for years for a strong social safety net that will protect families from the violence of poverty. We believe that an investment in families and individuals is good policy. We believe that families are not meant to just survive or struggle, but should live in dignity. The Child tax Credit allows families to move out of poverty and have some stability, said Ketny Jean-Francois, Member-Leader Community Voices Heard.”

The expanded Child Tax Credit is projected to reduce the number of children living in poverty in America by half, according to an analysis by Columbia University. The number of children projected to benefit in each congressional district is available here.