December 7, 2015
Dear Senator,
The improvements to the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC) that were
enacted in 2009 but are scheduled to expire after 2017 are extremely important to millions of
working families across the country. The undersigned organizations strongly urge Congress to make
them permanent in any tax extenders bill before Congress adjourns.
Media reports indicate that negotiations are underway to extend the business tax breaks that expired
earlier this year, and we urge Congress to make the EITC and CTC improvements permanent now,
as part of any agreement on these extenders. Not doing so would put these improvements at
considerable risk in 2017; there are too many uncertainties in 2017 to count on securing permanent
extension of these critical provisions then.
The EITC and CTC are two of the strongest tools we have to help working families make ends
meet, escape poverty, and become self-sufficient. Roughly 50 million Americans, including 25
million children, will lose some or all of their tax credits if the EITC and CTC improvements expire.
More than 16 million people, including 8 million children, will be pushed into, or deeper into,
poverty.
Low-income families cannot afford to lose this critical help to support themselves through work.
Congress has a critical opportunity now to protect these highly effective provisions. Should
Congress wait until close to their expiration, these provisions may, in fact, expire. Alternatively,
securing their extension at the 11th hour as they are about to die in late 2017 could come at a very
high price — costly, regressive tax cuts or other harmful policy changes. Waiting could cause the
EITC and CTC improvements to essentially be held hostage for other, deleterious policy changes.
No other issue affecting so many struggling working families and their children is before Congress in
the rest of this session. We urge you to do everything you can to make these vital provisions
permanent this year. Thank you for considering our request.
Sincerely,
9to5, National Association of Working Women
Adorers of the Blood of Christ, U.S. Region
African American Health Alliance
Afterschool Alliance
AIDS United
Alliance for a Just Society
Alliance for Strong Families and Communities
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
Americans for Democratic Action (ADA)
Americans for Tax Fairness
Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs
Association of University Centers on Disabilities
Benedictine Coalition for Responsible Investment
Benedictine Health System
Bread for the World
Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good
Center for Community Change Action
Center for Economic Progress
Center for Global Policy Solutions
Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)
Center for Public Justice
Center for Rural Strategies
Center for the Study of Social Policy
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Child and Family Policy Center
Child Care Aware® of America
Child Welfare League of America
Children's Defense Fund
Children's Health Watch
Children's Leadership Council
Citizens for Tax Justice
Coalition on Human Needs
Common Sense Kids Action
Community Action Partnership
Concerned Black Men National
Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED)
Corporation for Supportive Housing
Covenant House International
Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund
Early Care and Education Consortium
Ecumenical Poverty Initiative
Epilepsy Foundation
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Every Child Matters Education Fund
Feeding America
First Focus Campaign for Children
Food Research & Action Center (FRAC)
Foster Family-based Treatment Association
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Generations United
Global Justice Institute
Goodwill Industries International
Interfaith Worker Justice
Islamic Relief USA
Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States
Jewish Council for Public Affairs
Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, AFL-CIO (LCLAA)
Leadership Conference of Women Religious
League of Women Voters of the United States
Lutheran Services in America
Main Street Alliance
Medical Mission Sisters
Metropolitan Community Churches
MomsRising
NAACP
National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd National African American Drug Policy Coalition, Inc.
National Alliance of Children’s Trust & Prevention Funds
National Alliance to End Homelessness
National Association for Bilingual Education (NABE)
National Association for Hispanic Elderly
National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders
National Association for State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD)
National Association of County Human Services Administrators
National Association of Evangelicals
National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
National Center for Law and Economic Justice
National Center on Adoption and Permanency
National Child Support Enforcement Association
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
National Coalition for the Homeless
National Council of Jewish Women
National Council on Independent Living (NCIL)
National Disability Institute
National Domestic Violence Hotline
National Education Association
National Employment Law Project
National Foster Parent Association
National Health Care for the Homeless Council
National Immigration Law Center
National Latino Evangelical Coalition
National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund
National Low Income Housing Coalition
National Military Family Association
National Network to End Domestic Violence
National Resource Center on Domestic Violence
National Urban League
National WIC Association
National Women’s Law Center
NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby
Partnership for America's Children
People Demanding Action
PICO National Network
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A)
Progressive Congress
Public Advocacy for Kids
Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities Coalition
RESULTS
Share Our Strength
Single Stop
Sisters of Charity Federation
Sisters of Charity of Nazareth Congregational Leadership
Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Sisters of Mercy, Institute Justice Team
Sojourners
The Arc of the United States
The Jewish Federations of North America
The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
The Office of Social Justice, the Christian Reformed Church in North America
The Salvation Army National Headquarters
The United Methodist Church - General Board of Church and Society
Union for Reform Judaism
United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Ministries
United Way Worldwide
USAction
Voices for Progress
Women's institute for a Secure retirement (WISER)
Young Invincibles
ZERO TO THREE
