Rallies Across Country Demand Congress Permanently 'Bake Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit Expansions Into the Budget'

On Monday, May 17, Community Change Action and our partners hosted pie deliveries and rallies across the country to demand Congress bake the expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC) and Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) into the budget permanently. Funds from the expanded child tax credits in the American Rescue Plan are expected to hit families' bank accounts starting July 15, with payments up to $300 per month. On Tax Day, organizers called for these expanded tax benefits to be inclusive to all families, regardless of immigration status, and to be made permanent. They delivered pies to the U.S. Treasury Department and members of Congress across the country, with the message that there is enough pie to go around to end child poverty in the United States.

"This is a chance to see a generational shift in opportunity that we haven't seen in a very long time. For decades, the ability to live beyond paycheck to paycheck and build wealth has been reserved for the ultra rich," said Community Change Co-President Dorian Warren. "Permanent expanded direct cash payments to families will help us start to turn the tide away from this unsustainable inequality, build back the middle class, and end the cycle of poverty for millions of families."

Rallies took place at the U.S. Treasury Department in Washington, D.C., Sen. Manchin and Sen. Capito's offices in West Virginia, Sen. Hassan and Sen. Shaheen's offices in New Hampshire, Sen. King and Sen. Collins' offices in Maine, Chicago, Illinois and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Photos and videos from today's events can be re-published with appropriate credits (listed in comments of each file). You can also watch the recordings of events in D.C. and West Virginia.

"The Child Tax Credit raises the floor for our most vulnerable families and rebuilds the middle class. But more is needed. It should be permanent and should include all of America's children whose parents live and work in the United States, including all immigrant families," said SPACES in Action (D.C.) Executive Director LaDon Love.

"We have an opportunity to remedy one of our state's most pressing challenges by cutting poverty by a third and child poverty by half through the expansion of the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit. Young people without children who struggle to make ends and are all too often left without support, will benefit from this as well," said Mariah Baker, Charleston, West Virginia resident, aged 19.

"For my neurodiverse family of five, the child tax credit payments bring much needed peace of mind. To know that we will not have to take from the budget that meets our immediate needs if an unexpected medical bill arrives or something major in our older home needs to be replaced greatly eases the stress we have been facing," said Mom's Rising and Rights and Democracy New Hampshire member Marcella Termini. "I deeply appreciate the support our Senators brought for families like mine with the American Rescue Plan and I hope they will build on that victory by making the expanded Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit permanent."