The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced this week that it would likely be able to start sending out checks to families that are eligible for a child tax credit that was included in an economic stimulus bill that passed earlier this year.
As part of the American Rescue Plan signed into law just last month, families with children under the age of 17 are set to receive monthly payments to help ease financial burdens created during the coronavirus pandemic. Those with children under the age of 6 would receive $3,600 per child over the course of a year, or $300 per month, while families with kids aged six to 17 years would receive $3,000 per child annually, or $250 per month.
The IRS is being tasked with sending the checks out. Previously, there was some concern over the agency’s ability to do so by the summer, as the legislation for the bill was just signed into law in March. IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig had, just a few weeks ago, testified that he wasn’t sure about being able to get the checks out in July.
On Tuesday, however, Rettig sounded much more confident.
“We will launch by July 1 with the absolute best product we are able to put together,” he said.
Rettig cautioned that delays could become necessary if hiccups within the process come about, adding that he wouldn’t “risk our system” within the IRS to put payments out on time. Still, the comments the commissioner made this week suggest the tax credit payments are more likely to be ready at that time than not.
President Joe Biden has regularly touted the payments as being beneficial for families across the U.S. who are still struggling with the economic fallout from the pandemic. He has also expressed an interest in making payments such as these permanent for families in the future.
“We reduced child poverty, and we reduced poverty in Black communities significantly, just by that act alone,” Biden said this week about the act while meeting with members of the Congressional Black Caucus. “One of my objectives there is — overall objective is to make those changes permanent.”
Some, however, believe payments to families with children alone isn’t enough, and also want the amounts to be larger. In late March, just after the American Rescue Plan was enacted, Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan) and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Washington) introduced legislation that proposed giving $2,000 per month to every person in the U.S., regardless of whether they were parents or not, for the remainder of the pandemic, as well as $1,000 in payments for 12 months after it ended.
“People don’t only need relief, they need stability, certainty, and predictability,” Jayapal said about the proposed legislation, adding that “a one-time survival check isn’t enough to get people through this crisis.”
Other Democrats in Congress are calling on Biden to include a fourth standalone stimulus payment within the infrastructure bill that his administration is crafting, with many also urging the president to make recurring payments a part of it as well.
“To truly build back better, families need stability and certainty through ongoing relief,” a letter to Biden from more than 50 Democrats in the House of Representatives said.
Help us Prepare for Trump’s Day One
Trump is busy getting ready for Day One of his presidency – but so is Truthout.
Trump has made it no secret that he is planning a demolition-style attack on both specific communities and democracy as a whole, beginning on his first day in office. With over 25 executive orders and directives queued up for January 20, he’s promised to “launch the largest deportation program in American history,” roll back anti-discrimination protections for transgender students, and implement a “drill, drill, drill” approach to ramp up oil and gas extraction.
Organizations like Truthout are also being threatened by legislation like HR 9495, the “nonprofit killer bill” that would allow the Treasury Secretary to declare any nonprofit a “terrorist-supporting organization” and strip its tax-exempt status without due process. Progressive media like Truthout that has courageously focused on reporting on Israel’s genocide in Gaza are in the bill’s crosshairs.
As journalists, we have a responsibility to look at hard realities and communicate them to you. We hope that you, like us, can use this information to prepare for what’s to come.
And if you feel uncertain about what to do in the face of a second Trump administration, we invite you to be an indispensable part of Truthout’s preparations.
In addition to covering the widespread onslaught of draconian policy, we’re shoring up our resources for what might come next for progressive media: bad-faith lawsuits from far-right ghouls, legislation that seeks to strip us of our ability to receive tax-deductible donations, and further throttling of our reach on social media platforms owned by Trump’s sycophants.
We’re preparing right now for Trump’s Day One: building a brave coalition of movement media; reaching out to the activists, academics, and thinkers we trust to shine a light on the inner workings of authoritarianism; and planning to use journalism as a tool to equip movements to protect the people, lands, and principles most vulnerable to Trump’s destruction.
We urgently need your help to prepare. As you know, our December fundraiser is our most important of the year and will determine the scale of work we’ll be able to do in 2025. We’ve set two goals: to raise $104,000 in one-time donations and to add 1340 new monthly donors by midnight on December 31.
Today, we’re asking all of our readers to start a monthly donation or make a one-time donation – as a commitment to stand with us on day one of Trump’s presidency, and every day after that, as we produce journalism that combats authoritarianism, censorship, injustice, and misinformation. You’re an essential part of our future – please join the movement by making a tax-deductible donation today.
If you have the means to make a substantial gift, please dig deep during this critical time!
With gratitude and resolve,
Maya, Negin, Saima, and Ziggy