In December, we witnessed a rare bipartisan decision. Congress voted to provide $768 billion for the military for one year. Unlike the military, the children from poor and middle-class families in the United States did not fare so well. The Child Tax Credit (CTC), lifting nearly 4 million children out of poverty in November, stalled when Congress could not reach a decision (bipartisan or purely one-party) on Build Back Better and the CTC expired at the end of December. The excuse was its high cost, although that was calculated over a 10-year period.
I may be disappointed but not surprised that the Democratic party was not unified. After all, there are many perspectives to be considered. What is extremely disappointing is that the Republican Party did not even enter the conversation and was unified in their disdain for the needs of our citizens. Yes, unified without any thought nor apparently any interest or freedom to think for themselves on these disparate needs.
I’ve often heard it said recently that ours is a Christian country and we need to preserve our values. I look at these decisions and wonder what our values may be — certainly not Christian. War over care of those in need, especially children. I call upon Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, both Catholic, to reflect on the decisions they have made or failed to make. I call on them to make the Child Tax Credit a priority in 2022. Raising children out of poverty through the Child Tax Credit is just one casualty of their inaction.
— Patricia Kennish
Anchorage
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