Submitted by Patrick Cassidy.
NORWICH, CT—Today, Representatives Joe Courtney (CT-02), John Larson (CT-01) and Jim Himes (CT-04) welcomed Vice President Kamala Harris to Connecticut for the first time since she was sworn in on January 20th, 2021. Vice President Harris is travelling to Connecticut to remark on the historic support that was secured for children and working families through the American Rescue Plan Act (H.R. 1319), a top priority of the Biden-Harris Administration that included critical provisions pressed forward in the House by Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), Chair of the House Appropriations Committee. Vice President Harris will discuss how these new provisions will provide critical support to working families and children in Connecticut amid the economic recovery, and congratulate Congresswoman DeLauro on her decades’ worth of work to ensure they were enacted into law.
“It is an honor to welcome Vice President Kamala Harris to Connecticut, particularly to highlight Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro’s hard-fought success for working families in the American Rescue Plan, as well as Congresswoman Jahana Hayes for her outstanding work to secure aid for education,” said Rep. Courtney. “The American Rescue Plan was the top incoming priority for the Biden-Harris Administration, and it’s enactment will help lift nearly twelve million people out of poverty and kick our economic recovery into higher gear. That’s due in large part to provisions in the law that Rep. DeLauro has spearheaded for nearly twenty years, namely to expand the Child Tax Credit to reach more children in poverty, to strengthen the Earned Income Tax Credit, and to beef up other supports for children and dependents. Her efforts to strengthen the economy by dramatically reducing child poverty have drawn support from across the political spectrum, and have achieved the sort of consensus priority status in Congress that defies the political environment our country is still grappling with. All of us in the Connecticut delegation are proud to call Rosa our colleague.”
“The American Rescue Plan is life changing for millions of children and families across the country and it is an honor to welcome Vice President Harris to the great state of Connecticut to highlight it’s impact and the work of Congresswomen DeLauro and Hayes. Congresswoman Hayes successfully secured education aid, which is vital to helping students get through this pandemic. Congresswoman DeLauro has been a tireless fighter for working families and for the past 18 years worked to expand the Child Tax Credit. Because of her work, the expanded Child Tax Credit will cut childhood poverty in half. This is monumental. We couldn’t be prouder to serve alongside Congresswoman DeLauro in Congress,” said Larson.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Vice President Kamala Harris to Connecticut to highlight how the American Rescue Plan is helping Connecticut families and businesses,” said Congressman Himes. “I salute my neighbor and colleague Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro for her epic work supporting children and families, including the expanded Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit that will cut child poverty in half this year. Together, supporting each other, we will get through this crisis and emerge as a better and stronger Connecticut.”
The American Rescue Plan Act was signed into law on March 11th and includes important support for working families that originated in the House and were championed by Rep. DeLauro. The law increases the Child Tax Credit for working families to $3,000 per eligible child for the 2021 tax year, increases the qualifying age of children to include all children under 18 for 2021, and increases the credit for children under 6 to $3,600. The law also expands and bolsters the Earned Income Tax Credit, as well as the Child and Dependent Tax Credit, which will now allow families to claim up to half of their childcare expenses and was made fully refundable. Each of these critical provisions have been pressed forward for years by Congresswoman DeLauro. Click here to read more about how the American Rescue Plan Act supports children and working families.
