Guest Opinion: Joe Manchin is the Grinch who stole Christmas
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That the Build Back Better Act did not pass in the Senate by Christmas will delay or eliminate issuance of monthly child tax credit payments to parents who critically need them and will endanger the gains that we made in reducing child poverty.
Research convincingly establishes that every dollar invested in safety net initiatives for children — whether in high-quality early education, Medicaid, food stamps or child tax credits — can change the arc of their lives.
Benefits include greater academic success, higher earnings and better health, and are the “surest way to break the cycle of poverty” (David Kirp, New York Times 12/2/21).
But Senator Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, wants to slow down consideration of Build Back Better and take the “strategic pause” he called for months ago. He said “My reason for saying that, and I still feel strongly about that, is the unknown we’re facing today is much greater than the need that people believe [is addressed] in this aspirational bill. And we’ve got to make sure we get this right. We just can't continue to flood the market as we’ve done.”
In response, the Poor People’s Campaign, an organization founded by Martin Luther King, sent a letter to Senator Manchin. Representing West Virginia, they say:
“Just days before Christmas, we write to you again because too many of us and our families will suffer if you continue to care more about lobbyists and corporations than you do about hard-working poor and low-income people of West Virginia.”
The vast majority of citizens care very much about those who need the help that the Build Back Better Act can bring. And we also care about expanding — not limiting — voting rights, protecting our children from gun violence, and having all of our children represented fairly in the curriculum of their schools. Where are our elected representatives, and who are they representing?
More from the Poor People’s Campaign letter:
“Senator Manchin, you say your positions are backed by the people....Nearly 80% of West Virginians want to expand voting rights. 75% of West Virginia voters see the importance of the job creation potential of the Build Back Better Agenda. And 65% of West Virginia voters say making historic investments to improve the economic situation of the people is an important reason to pass the Build Back Better Agenda.”
What can we do?
Write to Manchin to encourage him to support this measure.
Share information on how child poverty will increase if Congress fails to act.
Write a Letter to the Editor with PA Budget and Policy Center message points:
“Millions of families with kids will lose hundreds of dollars in monthly child payments if Congress doesn’t act... It’s time for the Senate to pass Build Back Better.”
“Child payments that help families pay for housing, food, and education will expire at the end of the year. Passing Build Back Better right away will renew the Child Tax Credit, help families keep up with rising costs, and cut child poverty by 40 percent. It’s time for the Senate to get it done.”
Please write. We can do this for the sake of our children and families.
Jill Sunday Bartoli of Carlisle, Cumberland County, is a former educator at Elizabethtown College.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Guest Opinion: Joe Manchin is the Grinch who stole Christmas
