The stunning drop in child poverty is a huge story

[Nevilledog]

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Greg Sargent
@ThePlumLineGS
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Stunning: The expanded CTC kept 5.3 million people above the poverty line in 2021, and drove child poverty to a new low, a new @CenterOnBudget report finds. The dramatic drop in child poverty in recent years is a big story. It confirms poverty is a choice.

washingtonpost.com
Opinion | The stunning drop in child poverty is a huge story
Evidence keeps coming in that antipoverty spending, especially what we did in pandemic relief, has been enormously beneficial.
2:44 PM · Sep 13, 2022

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/09/13/poverty-decline-pandemic-relief/

No paywall
https://archive.ph/AYLlt

Then as now, it was an idea driven by an ideology that says the government should do as little as possible to help people who are struggling. Then as now, it was refuted by facts.

As a new report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities shows, we did something extraordinary during the worst parts of the coronavirus pandemic: In the midst of a crisis that affected every part of our society and could have been economically calamitous, we drove poverty down. As economically painful as the crisis was, the aggressive public spending passed across the Trump and Biden presidencies dramatically mitigated the hardship Americans suffered.

Using just-released census figures, the group reports the results of the pandemic stimulus measures in 2021. In particular, the study looked at the expansion of the child tax credit, which was altered to give monthly payments to eligible families, including those with incomes too low to have income tax liability:

The expanded Child Tax Credit alone kept 5.3 million people above the annual poverty line and helped drive a stunning reduction in child poverty to a record low. Poverty overall also reached a record low and the uninsured rate dropped substantially, with Medicaid and Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace coverage reaching or nearing record highs.

The effect on minority groups was particularly dramatic: “In 2018 nearly 1 in 4 Black children lived in families with incomes below the poverty line. In 2021, fewer than 1 in 10 did.”

*snip*

[Bucky]

1. You might want to say "from 25% to 10%"

since most Americans will assume that one in 10 is larger than one in 4

[underpants]

2. Rep. Rosa DeLauro Has been pushing this for 18 years

So much credit to her.

It’s amazing how such a seemingly small change can make that much of a difference.

[questionseverything]

3. It's great that the extended child tax credit helped so many kids

It’s criminal that we let it end

[Bettie]

5. Joe Manchin didn't like it

so, we couldn't keep it.

[Grokenstein]

4. "It confirms poverty is a choice" ...Wait, WHAT (he corrects)

Link to tweet

Oh, okay.

[questionseverything]

6. Unfortunately it's the government's choice

Little poor kids and their parents can’t afford lobbyists

[Diamond_Dog]

7. Not one Republican voted for this. Not one.

How cold hearted can you be?

[SergeStorms]

11. How many will take credit for it though?

Just like the infrastructure bill. Trumpublicans will fall all over themselves taking credit for Democrats' victories. 🙄

[calimary]

14. Oh, all of 'em.

I just hope the closest Dem to the microphone speaks up and fact-checks 'em.

[crickets]

8. K&R for visibility.

[NNadir]

9. President Biden is carrying through with the American tradition that whenever we have finished...

...the term of one of the worst Presidents in our history - and personally I rank Trump below poor James Buchanan - we follow with one who is great.

The man is amazing!

[SergeStorms]

10. Thanks, Joe.

Dark Brandon does it again.

[IbogaProject]

12. Manchin blocked since Jan 2022

So those gains have surely reverted.

[Ford_Prefect]

13. Quick, someone tell the MSM. They're still pushing the terrifying inflationary future

because Democrats...

[Stuart G]

15. K & R.... Thank You for Posting This