The National Association of Evangelicals joined with leaders of faith organizations, social welfare organizations and others to call Congress to increase the child tax credit to $3,000 per child.
“We consider it to be an integral part of our missions to ensure families and communities have all the resources they need to be fully flourishing and contributing members of society. There is no argument that the married family is the necessary building block for healthy children, communities, and a free people,” the letter states. “However, marriage rates are at an all-time low while fertility rates continue to decline. For too long, we have presumed the family would always be there to strengthen society while spending little effort to support its health. If we do not take concrete steps to strengthen the family, we’ll have no chance of addressing the social problems most on Americans’ minds — educational failure, poverty and crime.”
The leaders argue that Congress must address the increasing cost of parenthood and the declining fertility rates. Their goal is to advance policies that make having children more affordable and achievable.
“While there are many reforms that would either remove barriers to family formation or help support struggling families, none is more important than increasing the CTC to $3,000 per child,” the letter states.
Signers include Newt Gingrich, former speaker of U.S. House of Representatives; Rick Santorum, former U.S. senator; Tony Perkins, president of Family Research Council; and Samuel Rodriguez, president of National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, among others.