Letter from American Mothers Calling for Child Tax Credit Expansion to be Made Permanent
President Biden and Vice President Harris -
Congratulations on successfully passing the American Rescue Plan, and thank you for your tireless advocacy for the American people. Because of your work, millions of Americans can now put food on the table, receive a vaccine, and finally see a light at the end of the tunnel in this pandemic. We are grateful for that.
As you know, women have been hit particularly hard by this pandemic. Women made up all of the jobs lost in December of last year and women of color are unemployed at higher rates than the rest of the population. Collectively, women lost one million more jobs than men in 2020. This is a national crisis. The ARP provided temporary relief through stimulus checks, expanding the CTC for one year and helping with childcare needs. And while we recognize The American Families Plan would extend that much needed support for a few more years — as moms, we don’t believe this is enough.
While economists are still studying the impacts of this pandemic, we know that this pandemic set us back decades toward achieving women’s equality. Women — particularly women of color — are the most likely to live in poverty, are overrepresented in low-paying occupations, and are far more likely to lack access to sick leave and health care benefits. Black women are paid 62 cents for every dollar that a White man is paid, and Latinx women make even less at 54 cents. In addition to the urgent need to pass paid family leave and affordable childcare, we call on you to make the expansion of the CTC permanent at up to $3,600 annually and ensure it is distributed on a monthly basis. The administration has momentum on its side and should use it to make the next big fight a fight on behalf of mothers.
New polling shows this is also what the American people want: 56% of voters overall and 74% of Democrats are in favor of making the CTC permanent, and we see the same strong support among people of color with 85% of Black voters and 70% of Latinx voters supporting its permanence.
While we know that the CTC will help cut child poverty, we also know that the permanent expansion of the CTC will provide critical relief to mothers who are juggling needs at home — including serving as teachers and nannies — with demands at work, or trying to get back into the workforce. As mothers, we say loud and clear: we need help. Many moms want to be at work right now, but have either been laid off or can’t return because of demands at home. It is time for our government to have our backs.
We promise to stand by you and do whatever it takes to make this critical relief for families permanent.
We look forward to working with you on ways we can help mothers during this crisis.
Signed,
50 Moms from 50 States
Noelle Kelso
Alabama
Christi Elliott
Alaska
Rebecca Leavenworth
Arizona
Sasha Demskie
Arkansas
Sarah Gold
California
Kristina deVries
Colorado
Elpida Bauman
Connecticut
Lauren Hoban
Delaware
Christina Schubiger
Florida
Sandra April Keith
Georgia
Donna Daum
Hawaii
Christine May
Idaho
Mary McVay
Illinois
Valencia Roberson
Indiana
Mercedes Ironside
Iowa
Lee Green
Kansas
Sarah Moore
Kentucky
Erica Simmons
Louisiana
Elizabeth Castro
Maine
Regina Akaachiak
Maryland
Melissa González
Massachusetts
Muriel Maclin
Michigan
Christine Anderson
Minnesota
Valeria Haley
Mississippi
Toni Hankins
Missouri
Jennifer Bain
Montana
Jamie Smith
Nebraska
Maria Silva
Nevada
Courtney Stranahan Johnson
New Hampshire
Yazmeen Aikens
New Jersey
Jane Gamble
New Mexico
Marjorie Hedgepeth
New York
Jennifer Dickman
North Carolina
Christina Morris
North Dakota
Latha Srinivasan
Ohio
Amanda Rangel
Oklahoma
Julia Considine
Oregon
Meiriana Chinnici
Pennsylvania
Suzanne McDonald
Rhode Island
Amy Lyn Reeves
South Carolina
Candi Brings Plenty
South Dakota
Blair Walsingham
Tennessee
Shaniss Girtman
Texas
Marie LaChance
Utah
Amanda Witman
Vermont
Alysia Berman
Virginia
Rachel Black
D.C.
Evelyn Dial
Washington
Michelle Phillips
West Virginia
Kelly Hoppe
Wisconsin
Alexis Maybank
Wyoming
Additional Signatures:
Aisha Nyandoro
CEO of Springboard to Opportunities/Founder of Magnolia Mother’s Trust
Stacey Rutland
Founder of Income Movement
Reshma Saujani
Founder of Marshall Plan for Moms
About This Project
Magnolia Mother’s Trust, Income Movement and Marshall Plan for Moms came together to send a letter to the White House on behalf of mothers calling for a permanent expansion of the Child Tax Credit. All three of our organizations are centered on mothers and feel that their voice is central to the discussion around the Child Tax Credit given the disproportionate economic impact that have faced because of the pandemic.
