The recent passage of H.R. 1 by the U.S. Congress poses an immediate threat to children and low-income families. Analysts estimate that proposed reductions, totaling approximately $1 trillion, to Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the Affordable Care Act could result in more than one-in-five children losing access to coverage through these programs. Additionally, the bill includes a $200 billion reduction in funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which currently supports the nutritional needs of approximately 14 million children.
The changes to the Child Tax Credit continue to leave behind the children and families who need support the most. This is not an accidental flaw in the credit’s design – it’s an intentional policy choice to provide a modest expansion of the credit to wealthier households but continue providing little or no credit to the lowest-income children. New restrictions would block 2.6 million previously eligible children from receiving it at all. In all, this leaves behind over 20 million of the nation’s lowest-income children The legislation also includes provisions for an unlimited education voucher program, which will divert resources away from public schools and impact the overall quality of public education. Similarly, the reconciliation bill creates challenges for the early childhood education workplace.
In the document linked below, our analysis outlines the changes in the reconciliation legislation, including implications for child health, nutrition, child care, environment, tax policy, and children globally.