December 17, 2010
Contact:
Katie Peters
202.657.0685 (office)
202.445.4312 (mobile)
katiep@firstfocus.net
Washington D.C. – Late last night, the United States House of Representatives approved major tax legislation which included several important provisions to help children and families as they continue to recover from the aftermath of the economic downturn. Today, First Focus, a bipartisan child advocacy group, praised our nation’s leaders for including provisions that will greatly benefit low-income families, but expressed serious concern for the debt burden the massive tax deal will place on the next generation. The tax compromise bill will now go to President Obama to be signed into law.
“In our nation today one in five children live with a family whose income falls below the federal poverty line, and more than one in ten children have an unemployed parent,” said Bruce Lesley, president of First Focus. “Congress should be commended for including in this legislation the continuation of much needed services that are of immense value to these low-income and unemployed families with children. However, while we celebrate the inclusion of these critical provisions, we are deeply concerned that this legislation also provides costly tax benefits for the wealthiest Americans, which will lead to further debt burden for our next generation. Further, as our nation seeks to cut the national debt, it is likely that children will suffer again as pressure increases to reduce spending on programs important for kids, such as education, early childhood, and health programs.”
The provisions included in the tax compromise bill that will benefit children and working families:
For additional information on the provisions that benefit children and families, download the First Focus fact sheet entitled: What the Tax Compromise Means for Children and Working Families.
