GOP Once Again Putting Tax Burden on Working Families

February 2, 2012

WASHINGTON—A proposal by federal lawmakers to take away the Child Tax Credit from tax-paying immigrant families will endanger the well-being of more than 5 million children. Republicans tried and failed in December to let the payroll tax cut, which reaches middle class earners, expire. The current proposal includes paying for an extension of the payroll tax cut and other programs by limiting who can qualify for the Child Tax Credit, specifically immigrant families.

“Effectively, this means legislators want to balance the budget on the backs of five million children and their families,” said Deepak Bhargava, executive director of the Center for Community Change. “Immigrant families, who live and work in our communities and pay taxes and have citizen children, will be hurt by this legislation the most. This callous anti- immigrant posturing would bring harm to millions of children.”

The average annual Child Tax Credit for families is $1,800. Many depend on that money to help buy their children clothes, school supplies, groceries, or simply to help pay the bills. With child poverty at a 20-year high, this measure would put more children at risk of going to bed hungry and could exacerbate the situation for millions more.

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Community Change for Community Change, founded in 1968, is a national nonprofit that strengthens the leadership, voice and power of low-income communities and communities of color nationwide to confront the vital issues of today and build the social movements of tomorrow.