Now that Congress is back in session, Rep. Mary Peltola, Sen. Dan Sullivan and Sen. Lisa Murkowski have an important job to do: reinstate the expanded Child Tax Credit, or CTC. In 2021, the expanded CTC reached 83,000 Alaska families, including 155,000 children. The monthly tax credit gave Alaska families the freedom and flexibility to cover rent, food and utilities when they needed it most — monthly bill time. It helped cut child poverty by 46% in 2021 — the largest one-year reduction in history.
When Congress let the CTC expire last December, approximately 21,000 Alaska children were at risk of slipping back under the poverty line. This year, child poverty has increased, parents have stepped out of the workforce because they can’t afford child care, and global inflation has made basic necessities ever more expensive.
Before the term is up, Congress plans to extend tax breaks for wealthy corporations. It would be unconscionable for Congress to do that while ignoring millions of American families struggling to make ends meet. I urge our members of Congress to make sure an expanded, monthly CTC for all low-income families is included in tax negotiations.
— Sara Buckingham
Eagle River
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