Letter to the Editor: Congressional Grinches Take Christmas from American Families

In this special season of the year, many of us think with pleasure of the holidays and delight in our children and grandchildren. We love baking cookies, hanging stockings by the chimney with care. The excitement of Santa visiting every house in the world on Christmas Eve to bring joy to the hearts of children is a tradition many of us in the United States celebrate. 

Unfortunately, the heart of the Grinch lives on in Congress, as it allowed the expanded child tax credit to expire at the end of 2021. Can you believe that many families can’t qualify for the current child tax credit because their incomes are too low? We now have more children living below the poverty level and children that have to go to bed hungry. Imagine that in this prosperous country of ours!

 Many of the Congressional Grinches just want to bring joy to the corporations so they can enrich their CEOs and wealthy shareholders. In fact, 150 of them sent a letter last week to House Speaker Mike Johnson urging him to make this a priority.

During this season, take a step that could truly help children and their families. Let’s tell those Grinches in Congress to make a change and help our youngest have a better life out of poverty. Join me in telling them to include the expanded tax credit in any forthcoming tax package. The Grinch that stole Christmas was able to grow his heart – let’s push our legislators to do the same.

Becky Van Houten

Fish Creek, Wisconsin