With expanded child tax credit set to expire, Sen. Brown speaks on benefits, extension holdup

Continued benefits of the expanded child tax credit and what's needed to rally voter support for a program extension were discussed by U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Cleveland, in a Wednesday conference call. Since passage of the federal American Rescue Plan in March, up to $300 for every child under 6 and $250 for children ages 6-17 has gone out to families each month. Those payments started in July and gradually decrease in line with household income. What could possibly be the final expanded program payment went out Wednesday. "I don't generally make predictions, but I'm confident the child tax credit it going to be as popular as Social Security," Brown said. "Republicans have been opposed to it all along. Typically, when Republicans have the House, Senate or presidency, they try to privatize Social Security and we stop it. That's because the public is warned. The public is overwhelmingly in support of the child tax credit." Brown said he and other congressional Democrats are working on plans to better communicate with constituents about expanded child tax credit benefits as well as provisions of President Joe Biden's $1.7 trillion Build Back Better Act. That legislation includes a one-year expansion of increased child tax credit benefits. The new push to gain voter support will reach Medina County, Brown said. "I don't think voters in Brunswick, and Wadsworth, and Sharon Center, and Medina, and other areas of the county, Seville and those areas, I don't think they know that it was Democrats who voted to pass this child tax credit. We don't really talk about it much. It was Republicans that opposed it. We are changing lives and Republicans have not been on board helping us. Starting soon, you're going to hear more and more about what we did in this last year." Last week, an NPR/Marist poll stated that 69 percent of Democratic voters, 20 percent of Republicans and just under 40 percent of independents feel the overall Build Back Better agenda would help them personally. Enhanced child tax credit payments have also went out to more children than ever before due to the credit bring made fully refundable, meaning it could be claimed by eligible families without earned income. Build Back Better, which has already gained U.S. House approval, needs to pass into law before the end of the calendar year to ensure there's no gap in monthly payments. "I think when voters see the difference we made in their immediate lives, with the child tax credit and assistance with evictions and child care and transit, when they see that and see Republicans oppose every step of the way, that's going to be a clear contrast," Brown said of prospective Build Back Better passage and the 2022 midterm elections. "I wouldn't want to be a Republican candidate, even in a Republican area like Medina County, standing next to my Democratic opponent with voters asking who they can trust to continue the child tax credit. What's the Republican going to say? 'Don't trust me because I'll take it away from you?' " As with earlier Build Back Better drafts that at one time totaled $3.5 trillion, Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona have expressed opposition to current language, pointing to overall cost and inflation worries without making definitive public statements on what they'd like to see cut out. Brown said he's confident the one-year enhanced credit expansion will be part of Build Back Better once it gains 50 needed Senate votes. With the chamber now evenly split between Democrats and Republicans, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris would cast the tie-breaking vote. "Both of these members voted to create the child tax credit," Brown said. "Both of them, I believe Manchin for sure, was a co-sponsor. We started working on this in 2013 and by 2019 we had more than 40 co-sponsors, including Joe Manchin. Both of them voted for it in March and both of them have voted for a number of our initiatives. They are not quite there right now. I'll let them speak for themselves on Build Back Better." Kimberly LoVano, director of advocacy and public education at Greater Cleveland Food Bank, joined Brown on the call. She said increased child tax credit payments combined with wider federal aid to agencies like her own have been invaluable in combating higher needs for service and inflation during COVID-19. "The child tax credit has been an absolute blessing for families in our communities," LoVano said. "So many families with little extra income at home has found it extremely helpful with groceries, essentials like diapers and soap that aren't covered by SNAP benefits. No hygiene items are part of that program even though they are essential. We're really worried about what's going to happen next month if Build Back Better doesn't include the expanded credit. A survey of about 5,000 SNAP recipients showed that around 60 percent had $25 or less in their bank accounts. These are the same people receiving the child tax credit and being helped by it so much." LoVano was asked how suburban and rural areas like Medina County have been uniquely affected by the pandemic, ensuing food bank need, and higher monthly tax credit payments. "In rural communities, it can be very difficult for kids, adults and seniors to access nutrition programs," she said. "It's just the way that federal guidelines work. Food bank advocates across the country have been raising this issue for a long time. Senator Brown is very familiar with us because he's championed a few bills around the child nutrition reauthorization package that comes through every five years. Even if there are nutrition programs in place, it often is just very hard to access those programs in rural communities. The pandemic, of course, has made that even harder." Contact reporter Jonathan Delozier at (330) 721-4050 or jdelozier@medina-gazette.com.