NY Congressional Representatives Demand Congress Oppose Corporate Tax Breaks

 Today, U.S. Reps. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY-16) and Ritchie Torres (D-NY-15,) joined direct service organizations, anti-poverty and immigration advocates, families, faith leaders, and lawmakers to call for the expanded, monthly Child Tax Credit.

Attendees demanded that congressional leadership in Washington oppose any new tax breaks for wealthy corporations in their year-end spending bill unless passed together with relief for working families.

The event follows a recent letter to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) signed by over 100 organizations from New York State, which urged the Senator to prioritize expanding both the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit.

You can see the livestream on this Facebook page [UPDATED LINK HERE]. 

This rally follows recent statements made on behalf of the White House indicating that President Biden believes “any bill that cuts taxes for a big corporation must also […] cut taxes for working families.”

The Congressional Progressive Caucus, the New Democrat Coalition, and a group of recently elected Representatives in the House – three groups that represent nearly half of the Democratic Caucus in the House – have also sent two separate letters either urging House leadership to prioritize the enhanced Child Tax Credit and/or oppose any new tax breaks for wealthy corporations unless passed together with the expanded, monthly Child Tax Credit.

These champions join hundreds of advocacy organizations involved in racial justice and civil rights, hunger and nutrition security, small business interests, veteran and military family support, and more who are all calling on Congress to revive the expanded Child Tax Credit.

QUOTES

“One of the first things I was blessed to do when I got to Congress was to vote in favor of the American Rescue Plan, which reduced poverty by 50% for a year. I heard stories from constituents about how it changed their lives. It changed lives across the district, it changed lives across the country. If you care about the wellbeing of our country then we need to end child poverty now. I’m calling on my colleagues in Congress to make the expanded Child Tax Credit permanent before the end of this year,” said Representative Jamaal Bowman (NY-16).

“My district is known to be the poorest congressional district in America and there is no single policy that would do more to lift the South Bronx out of poverty than an expansion of the child tax credit,” said Representative Ritchie Torres (NY-15). “The child tax credit would do for children what social security and Medicare did for senior citizens. It would end extreme poverty for the most vulnerable Americans by cutting child poverty in half. We know we have the tools to pull millions of children out of poverty – the time for action is now. I am proud to join the Children’s Defense Fund of New York in the fight to restore the child tax credit once and for all.”

“The Child Tax Credit (CTC) and Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) are great tools for fighting child poverty in this…