On September 23rd, 2022, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) released a new paper highlighting the success of the Expanded Child Tax Credit in reducing childhood poverty and the need for Congress to come to a bipartisan agreement to extend this important policy.

The paper notes that, “the expansion helped lower child poverty by more than 40 percent between 2020 and 2021, reaching a record low of 5.2 percent,” according to Census Bureau data released earlier in September. CBPP also notes that there is opportunity for bipartisan collaboration, with Republicans releasing more than one extension proposal over the past several months.

“Congress and the Biden Administration now face a stark choice: whether to expand the Child Tax Credit or allow all of the gains against child poverty made over the last two years to evaporate, with millions of children needlessly falling back below the poverty line.”