Today, First Focus Campaign for Children, Children’s Defense Fund, American Federation of Teachers, Children’s HealthWatch, Child Welfare League of America, National Diaper Bank Network, National WIC Association, and Youth Villages sent a letter to Congressional Leadership to express our shared concerns that the actions of extreme factions within Congress will cause undue harm in the near-term and well into the future for children and families with the lowest incomes.
Excerpt from the letter:
The newly released Census poverty data for 2022 shows the child poverty rate more than doubled with nearly 9 million children living in poverty in 2022 compared to 3.8 million in 2021 as critical policy choices resulted in the expiration of expanded income supports for families. In addition, the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 budget blueprint in the House and annual spending bills aim to limit access to vital resources like food, housing, healthcare, childcare, education, and more while simultaneously some members of the House are pushing through a tax package that disproportionately benefits large corporations and the wealthiest, will erode revenue, taking away security and stability from children and their families. Congress must prioritize investing in the well-being of our nation’s youth rather than adding $320 billion to our national debt in the near-term through tax breaks for the wealthy and big corporations.