How to take action on upcoming House legislation that includes the Child Tax Credit!
Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Suzan DelBene (D-WA), and Ritchie Torres (D-NY) will soon introduce the American Family Act (AFA) in the House of Representatives. The AFA expands the Child Tax Credit (CTC) to include all children, regardless of parental income, increases the benefit amount to $3,600 (for children ages 0-5) and $3,000 (for children ages 6-17), and would be paid monthly. These critical changes are similar to the ones in a 2021 version of the CTC that helped cut child poverty by a historic 46 percent.
The bill’s authors are seeking “original cosponsors” for their legislation before the bill is officially introduced. It is critical that the AFA is introduced with as many cosponsors as possible to send a clear statement that children should be prioritized in our tax code, regardless of parental income.
RESULTS volunteers who cover key targets have been contacting their representatives asking them to be an original cosponsor. Their advocacy for the AFA has achieved incredible results: 129 cosponsors so far!
To take that number higher, we need your help. If you have a Democratic member of the House, please reach out and ask them to cosponsor the American Family Act. We anticipate the bill’s introduction sometime in May.
Here is how you can help generate strong support for the AFA!
Take Action:
- Check our link to the list of current original cosponsors of the AFA (column “L”) to see if your member has cosponsored.
- If your Representative has yet to co-sponsor the AFA, please send an email to the tax aide in their office urging them to cosponsor the bill (see sample below). Please send this request sheet along with a Dear Colleague letter, which has all the instructions for them to cosponsor.
- Ask the aide to follow up with you with any questions and to confirm with you if their boss will cosponsor the AFA.
- If your representative has already cosponsored, please send an email to their office thanking them for their support!
If you have any questions about the AFA or need support in responding to a question from an office, please contact David Plasterer at [email protected].
Sample Email to send to Tax Aide
Subject: Urgent request from RESULTS: Please be an Original Cosponsor of the American Family Act
Dear [NAME OF AIDE],
My name is [NAME] and I am a constituent of [REP. NAME] and would like to make an urgent request regarding an important action to expand the Child Tax Credit (CTC). Representatives Rosa DeLauro and Suzan DelBene have sent out a Dear Colleague letter asking for original cosponsors of their American Family Act (AFA). The AFA would bring back the most important aspects of the 2021 CTC such as full refundability for all children, monthly payments, and an increased credit amount.
[Add 1 or 2 sentences about why CTC is important to you as a constituent.]
A strong showing of House members on the AFA will send that message loud and clear that all children deserve our support, and no child should grow up in poverty. We know how to significantly cut child poverty if we can just find the political will to do so.
Will [REP. NAME] sign on to be an original cosponsor of the AFA? Attached please find a copy of the Dear Colleague Letter and Co-sponsorship Request.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to your response to this request. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]