Standing Up For Democracy

February 25, 2022   About Tim Services Media Center Legislative Work   Dear Friend, Welcome back to my Week in Review newsletter. Please remember to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube for regular updates on how I am serving the people of South Carolina!   Standing With Ukraine This week, the world watched in dismay as Vladimir Putin carried out a devastating and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. As we keep the Ukrainian people in our hearts and prayers, now is also the time to take firm and decisive actions that stand up to Putin’s bullying. I released a full statement condemning Russia’s aggression and calling on President Biden to stand up for democracy. Progressive Policies Are Failing Americans In communities across South Carolina and our nation, hardworking families are feeling the strain of higher prices at the grocery store and gas pump. But progressives are trying to solve the issue (inflation) with more of the problem (spending). The fact is the Democrats’ policies have caused hikes not just in inflation, but also in crime and illegal border crossings — things President Biden will have to explain to the American people at his State of the Union address next week. I talked about what we can expect him to say about these issues and more on Fox News this week. Click below for the full interview. Click to watch Protecting Quality Health Care for Seniors Medicare Advantage plans provide high-quality, affordable care to 27 million seniors, including more than 400,000 South Carolinians. This week, I worked with Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) to gather a bipartisan majority of our Senate colleagues on a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, urging the Biden administration to continue support for Medicare Advantage. As ranking member of the Senate Aging Committee, I’m committed to ensuring our older Americans have access to the best and most affordable care. Supporting the Auto Industry Supply chain disruptions continue to impede our economic recovery — particularly when it comes the automobile industry, which has struggled with a semiconductor shortage for months. The U.S. Department of Treasury already has the authority to provide targeted relief to help struggling dealerships and other businesses in the auto industry, but it has yet to do so. This week, I led a group of my Republican colleagues in urging Treasury to use its readily available powers to help auto retailers stay afloat. Click here to read more about our letter. Sincerely, Lowcountry 2500 City Hall Lane 3rd Floor Suite North Charleston, SC 29406 Phone: (843) 727-4525 Fax: (855) 802-9355   Midlands 1901 Main Street Suite 1425 Columbia, SC 29201 Phone: (803) 771-6112 Fax: (855) 802-9355   Upstate 104 South Main Street Suite 803 Greenville, SC 29601 Phone: (864) 233-5366 Fax: (855) 802-9355   Washington, DC 104 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Phone: (202) 224-6121 Toll Free: (855) 425-6324  Fax: (202) 228-5143     Click here to open a plain text version of this email                Click here to forward this email              Click here to open this e-mail in its own browser window

QUICK SIGNATURE: The Second CTC Payment This Year Missed - Tell Congress to Pass BBB!

February 15th marked the SECOND month that families were unable to receive their monthly CTC check!

Don't Let the U.S. Senate Hold Outs Keep Money from Families -- Restore the CTC NOW! TAKE ACTION

Dear Rob,

Since last summer, families across the country have been breathing a sigh of relief each month when the Child Tax Credit (CTC) payment arrives, giving families up to $300/child each month. [1] However, February 15th marked the SECOND month that families were unable to receive their monthly CTC check! 

Families cannot afford to wait a minute longer. Tell the U.S. Senate: The monthly Child Tax Credit payments must continue!  We are counting on you to pass Build Back Better immediately to restore monthly payments to families, pass paid family and medical leave, and boost child care that helps children and families thrive!

The pandemic continues to wreak havoc on families and communities across the country – child care providers continue to be on the frontlines as they care for children who still lack access to an approved COVID-19 vaccine and face historic staffing shortages as the pandemic wears on. This is happening at the same time that forced closures continue in child care settings, impacting parents' and families' health and ability to get to work. After all, we all know it can be next to impossible to be at work without access to child care – and that child care providers need protection too. When you add the lack of paid leave to help ensure families can stay home when sick and not lose critical income while isolating, it's a MESS.

And just as families needed support to deal with the Omicron surge, the monthly CTC payments ended in December because Democratic Senator Joe Manchin and the Republican Senators refused to pass Build Back Better which would have extended it. The Senate has now stopped two critical monthly payments from going into the pockets of families. It's more important than ever to pass the Build Back Better Act to extend the CTC, advance affordable child care and free Pre-K, guarantee paid family and medical leave, make home-and community-based services for the elderly and those with disabilities more affordable, pay care workers living wages and create good care jobs, lower the cost of insulin and other prescription drugs, make healthcare more affordable, and more.  

→ Tell the Senate to stand with families and vote YES for the Build Back Better Act.

Building off President Biden's Build Back Better plan, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation to extend the expanded CTC and ensure that low-income families will ALWAYS have access to the monthly benefit. It also includes key provisions like paid family and medical leave and affordable child care – all of which would be a lifeline to parents and families who are facing a particularly contagious variant of the COVID-19. BUT Senator Joe Manchin and Senate Republicans failed to act and locked families out of their monthly Child Tax Credit payments and critical policies that support families in good times and pandemic times, like paid family and medical leave and affordable child care and elder care. 

After just a single monthly CTC payment, the number of families who said that their household didn't have enough to eat fell by 3.3 million or nearly one-third! [2] THIS IS NOT TIME TO TAKE OUR FOOT OF THE GAS.

Because the Senate failed to act, all the great improvements to the Child Tax Credit are going away, sending millions of children and families back into poverty, disproportionately impacting families of color. In fact, if Build Back Better isn't enacted, the Child Tax Credit would revert to providing the least help to the children who need it most — about 27 million children would once again get a partial credit or none at all because their families' incomes are too low. [3] It's clear: The CTC expansion needs to be restored and we need to enact pro-family and pro-business policies like paid family and medical leave and affordable child care to lower family costs and weather this pandemic. 

*We need your help to speak out! Please use your voice and sign our letter calling on the U.S. Senate to get back to work and restore the expanded Child Tax Credit by immediately passing the Build Back Better Act. 

And while we are at it, let them hear loud and clear that children and families need investments in the full suite of programs that allow families to thrive: paid family and medical leave, child care, lower drug prices and healthcare, home- and community-based services, and a pathway to citizenship.

Families have been rising to demand the change we deserve and Congress needs to step up and do their jobs for families across the country. We won't let Congress revoke the single largest reduction for child poverty – we demand they take action today! 

Don't forget to sign on to tell Congress to pass Build Back Better to ensure a better future for our children and families!

Thank you for being a powerful voice for children and families,

- Hanna, Lauren, Ruth, Nina, Kristin, Donna, and the whole MomsRising.org/MamásConPoder Team

 

[1] MomsRising's Child Tax Credit page

[2] https://action.momsrising.org/go/71091?t=18&akid=17704%2E847037%2EhpK0c9 

[3] https://action.momsrising.org/go/70932?t=21&akid=17704%2E847037%2EhpK0c9 

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