Posted on Feb 22, 2022
Why America Has Been So Stingy In Fighting Child Poverty
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https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2022/02/22/ [login to see] /why-america-has-been-so-stingy-in-fighting-child-poverty
It was heralded as a game-changer for America's social safety net. It dramatically reduced child poverty. But, last month, the enhanced Child Tax Credit — a kind of "Social Security for kids" — expired, and millions of American children sank back into poverty.
In March 2021, President Biden and congressional Democrats revamped the Child Tax Credit as part of the American Rescue Plan. They restructured it, so that parents could get a monthly check from the government. They increased the credit's size, allowing parents to claim as much as $3,600 a year per child, or $300 a month. And they made the credit fully refundable, so that even super-low-income families who don't pay much — or anything — in federal taxes could get it.
For those primarily concerned with ending child poverty, these changes were a resounding success. Scholars at Columbia University found they reduced child poverty by about 30%. Another study found the enhanced program cut household food insufficiency by 26%.
But President Biden's efforts to renew the credit have been thwarted by opposition from Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and congressional Republicans. They disliked how much the program cost and how generous it was, and they worried that it would encourage parents to stop working because it did not have a work requirement.
It was heralded as a game-changer for America's social safety net. It dramatically reduced child poverty. But, last month, the enhanced Child Tax Credit — a kind of "Social Security for kids" — expired, and millions of American children sank back into poverty.
In March 2021, President Biden and congressional Democrats revamped the Child Tax Credit as part of the American Rescue Plan. They restructured it, so that parents could get a monthly check from the government. They increased the credit's size, allowing parents to claim as much as $3,600 a year per child, or $300 a month. And they made the credit fully refundable, so that even super-low-income families who don't pay much — or anything — in federal taxes could get it.
For those primarily concerned with ending child poverty, these changes were a resounding success. Scholars at Columbia University found they reduced child poverty by about 30%. Another study found the enhanced program cut household food insufficiency by 26%.
But President Biden's efforts to renew the credit have been thwarted by opposition from Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and congressional Republicans. They disliked how much the program cost and how generous it was, and they worried that it would encourage parents to stop working because it did not have a work requirement.
Why America Has Been So Stingy In Fighting Child Poverty
Posted from npr.org
Children
Poverty
Posted 2 y ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel what an excellent analysis of the social safety net for children. Thanks.
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel you want to talk about a game changer to fight child poverty, just do whats right for the kids/their future and pass good legislation.
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Lt Col Charlie Brown SSG Michael Noll Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen Cpl Vic Burk SPC Margaret Higgins MAJ Dale E. Wilson, Ph.D. PFC David Foster Sgt (Join to see) SGT (Join to see) PO2 Marco Monsalve LTC David Brown SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth ] SSG William Jones 1SG Dan Capri SPC Nancy Greene PO1 Tony Holland SrA John Monette SGT Mark Anderson LTC (Join to see)
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LT William Pellegrini
PASS good legislation. It is unfortunate but the current crop of GOP members of Congress aren't interested in passing ANY legislation at all. In fact, they are more interested in not doing anything since taking control of the House. Which results in this Republican Controlled House and Congress being useless. The result of having passed only 22 bills this year is the Government literally grinding to a halt. The GOP is setting the stage for the installation a Fascist Dictator for Life. And since the man most likely to be that Fascist Dictator for life is a corrupt to his soul 80 years old man, his reign will most likely be a short one. Thus opening the position for a younger Radical Fascist Republican to take control in the near future. The only hope is for moderate Republicans to not vote or not vote for Trump. Or if Trump is found guilty in the GA case and sent to jail, where he will be disqualified from holding public office (per Art. 3 of 14th Amendment) This is a rather black way to look at the future, and I hope I am very very wrong, but we must consider the worst before we can appreciate something better.
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Utah Sen. Mike Lee outlined a new “conservative anti-poverty agenda” November 2013, arguing that one of the most effective ways to combat poverty across the country might just be through encouraging marriage.
The problem of poverty in America is directly linked to family breakdown and the erosion of marriage among low-income families and communities.
In his “Bring Them In” speech, Lee said: “To say that children tend to do best when raised by their married mom and dad is not a political opinion — it is a demonstrable fact. Saying so does not demean or degrade other family structures.”
The problem of poverty in America is directly linked to family breakdown and the erosion of marriage among low-income families and communities.
In his “Bring Them In” speech, Lee said: “To say that children tend to do best when raised by their married mom and dad is not a political opinion — it is a demonstrable fact. Saying so does not demean or degrade other family structures.”
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LT William Pellegrini
Hmm. Seems that the problem being poverty then the solution is easy. The government in this case must insure that all the people have a minimum income that keeps them above the poverty level. That would allow husbands to be the primary wage earner and allow wives to bring up their children. So the question remains, how come the GOP does everything in their power to ensure that working class people are unable to actually earn a wage that would allow one person to adequately support a family? Yet, the same Republicans are hell bent for leather to give more and more tax breaks to the very very rich corporations and individuals thus making it impossible for the Government to assist the low wage people in the country. Another possibility is for workers at every place they work form unions that will allow them to negotiate adequate wages so that they can support a wife and children adequately. Unions would take the responsibility away from government. Unfortunately, the Republican's elections are financed by corporations of all sizes. That gives the corporations a big stick to ensure that taxes are very, very low; and employment laws are biased toward the corporations. The result being the average wage earner in the United States is unable to support his family, so the woman/wife finds work to help them make ends meet. If Senator Lee is truly worried about low wage earners then he should propose legislation that either allows the government to pay a subsidy to low wage earners, or put in place laws that require all companies and especially large corporations to pay their workers a minimum wage that is at least 10% above poverty level wages. We all know that ain't gonna happen in our lifetime.
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