DelBene, DeLauro, Torres Statement on Census Bureau Child Poverty Data

Today, U.S. Representatives Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), and Ritchie Torres (NY-15) released a statement in response to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau that shows that child poverty rate remains high following a lapse in extension for the expanded, monthly Child Tax Credit. The new data shows that the child poverty rate increased 1.3 percentage points to 13.7 percent in 2023.

"The expanded, monthly Child Tax Credit was the largest middle class tax cut ever. It cut child poverty in half and generated $10 in economic benefits for every $1 spent. The delivery of monthly checks gave families unprecedented economic security, allowing them to better balance their budgets and deal with rising costs. Following Congress's failure to extend the credit, we saw the largest increase in the child poverty rate in a single year - the largest increase on record which has sustained itself ever since.

"The lapse in this policy has had devastating consequences, particularly as families and children face high prices and are thrust back into preventable poverty. The expanded, monthly Child Tax Credit met its mission in a way we have never seen any other federal program work. This is about prioritizing everyday Americans, not the biggest corporations and billionaires. It is time to bring back the expanded, monthly Child Tax Credit so that we can end child poverty and once again provide working- and middle-class families with permanent economic security."