For Immediate Release

December 7 , 2022

MEDIA CONTACTS: 

Alondra Trevizo, [email protected], 620- 391-2841

Jasmine Nazarett, [email protected], 954-471-9080 

Domenica Ghanem, [email protected], 609-457-5663

Community Change Action Rallies Support for Child Tax Credit, Earned Income Tax Credit, and Immigration Protections in Lame Duck

Hundreds of organizers, families, allies call on Congress to deliver bold progressive change this month

Washington, DC – As the 117th Congress enters the final weeks of the 2022 legislative calendar, Community Change Action and partners from across the country are rallying support for Congress to act on critical priorities before Congress adjourns at the end of the month. Specifically, Community Change Action and its allies are advocating for action on an enhanced Child Tax Credit (CTC) and Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), and permanent legal protections for immigrants who are currently residing in the United States. 

As part of Community Change Action’s push, grassroots organizers and impacted people staged a protest outside of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday afternoon to demand that the corporate trade association put people over profits by supporting the CTC and EITC, which have proven to help families deal with rising costs in the last year.  Grassroots organizers and impacted families delivered a stocking full of coal and a letter addressing the Chamber.

The expanded CTC and EITC expansions in the American Rescue Plan provided critical supports to millions of families and workers. Those expansions expired, but the burdens our families and workers are facing did not. People have been suffering from record inflation as the Chamber’s members jack up prices, while reaping record profits. In the lame duck session, the Chamber has a chance to redeem themselves and stand with families that are the backbone of the American economy who are asking Congress to pass the expanded CTC and EITC now.” said Tammy Thomas Miles, Economic Justice Campaign Manager at Community Change Action.

Other speakers included Tami Lunan of Ohio Organizing Collaborative who shared stories from the early education community, Sena Mohammed of Our Voice Our Vote in Arizona who demanded immigrant inclusion, Chelsea Higgs-Wise of Marijuana Justice and Tax Fairness for Virginia who talked about the impact on millions of families, and Antonio Lightfoot of Worker Center for Racial Justice in Illinois who talked about what these payments meant to him as a father of four. On Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 2pm ET, Community Change Action will participate in a press conference advocating for the CTC with members of Congress on Capitol Hill.

Community Change Action, FIRM Action members, and Rep. Pramila Jayapal rallied supporters outside of the Supreme Court on Tuesday afternoon to highlight the urgent need for Congressional action to provide legal protections for  Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients.  The program which was originally created in 2012 has enabled nearly 1 million young people to attend school, work, and contribute to their communities without fear of deportation, but the absence of permanent protections leaves countless immigrants and their lives in the United States in limbo. Organizers left lanterns in honor of Día de las velitas.

“Congress must act quickly to protect undocumented youth before the end of the year. Our families have made countless sacrifices to build homes for us in the country we call home. At the beginning of this administration, Congresswoman Jayapal and our immigration champions in Congress, introduced the Roadmap to Freedom – our north star for what a humane and dignified immigration system looks like. That’s what we will keep fighting for until it’s a reality,” said Isaias Guerrero, DACA recipient and senior organizer with Community Change Action. 

For AP photographs from the events outside of the U.S. Chamber or at the steps of the United States Supreme Court, click here.

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