Team,

By passing and signing into law the American Rescue Plan this month, Democrats have taken the most significant action to end child poverty in decades. Our next step is to make this action permanent. Give me a moment to explain:

Nearly 11 million children in America today are living in poverty — that’s 1 in 7 kids. The numbers are daunting, and the medical and academic literature is clear. Any period of time spent living in poverty, no matter how short, can harm a child — impacting their future levels of educational attainment, wages earned, and their mental and physical health for a lifetime.

And so much human suffering comes at a profound cost to our economy, with the National Academy of Sciences estimating that we lose $1 trillion each year in untapped economic potential.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made the situation even worse, with more than 4 in 10 kids living in households that can’t meet basic expenses. Between 7 and 11 million kids don’t have enough food to eat.

The American Rescue Plan provides immediate relief by guaranteeing that families with children will receive at least $3,000 per child for the next year — and $3,600 for children under the age of 5.

This will be transformative, cutting child poverty nearly in half. But this policy change is only temporary — without action, it will expire just as its impact is being felt the most.

Congress must act to make this transformative change continue. Add your name next to mine on our petition calling to make the expanded child tax credit permanent.

No child in America should be living in poverty. By making the American Rescue Plan’s expanded child tax credit permanent, we will be building on this law’s foundation of bold emergency action with the enduring support that our nation’s families and children deserve.

— Cory