Category: Federal

The Importance of Federal Spending for Children

A new report released last week underscores the importance of federal investments on issues that impact children and families. It is often said that your priorities are reflected in where you spend your money, and it seems children are. An afterthought when budgets are created. The 2022 Children's Budget, an annual report compiled by the national bipartisan advocacy group First Focus on Kids, looks at the federal share of combined spending dedicated to children across federal agencies. And the findings say a great deal about the nation’s priorities.

This year’s report shows a game-changing shift. In the last budget year prior to the pandemic (2020), the share of spending on children dropped to a record low of 7.55%. The COVID pandemic assistance combined with new federal initiatives introduced under the Biden Administration have increased the share of spending to 11.98%. Policies like the enhanced child tax credit, child care stabilization grants and expanded school nutrition programs were instrumental to lifting millions of Americans out of poverty.

Some other key findings:

  • Funding for children’s mental health has increased by 11.3%.
  • Funding for children’s environmental health increased by 25%.
  • Funding for dedicated to education programs increased by 105%.
  • Funding for justice and child protection increased by 28%

Despite their bipartisan popularity and success, many of these issues and initiatives are only temporary, and so are the gains. Some, like enhanced Child Tax Credits, have already expired. Others, such as the Public Health Emergency declaration that kept millions of families on health insurance coverage, are nearing their end. Without further action, these gains will be lost. Please continue to ask your representatives to to invest federal spending on initiatives that help children.

Read report here

Big Win! Final Public Charge Rule Announced

Last week, the Biden Administration announced changes to immigration rules that disproportionately harm low-income people of color.  

The changes repeal and replace extreme and discriminatory changes to the Public Charge determination process, which we and so many other Arizona advocates and allies have fought for years.  

This is a victory for Children’s Action Alliance, the Arizona Center for Economic progress, and our countless partners who are fighting for a country where all families have the tools and resources to thrive. The new Public Charge rule aligns with longstanding principles in immigration law and makes clear that the use of publicly supported health, nutrition, or housing programs will not be considered by federal officials as part of the green card application process.  

This rule cannot and will not erase years of harm, fear, and mistrust that have stopped thousands of Arizona families from getting supports they deserve, but we hope that it’s a vital step toward healing and a new pathway for foreign-born immigrants– one that acknowledges the dignity and worth of every Arizonan. 

 

It’s Time to Cross the Finish Line

In March 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) provided bold, compassionate, and swift support to Arizonans in desperate need of a lifeline. ARPA worked to put vaccines in arms, safely reopen schools, and put food on tables. But ARPA was a targeted response to the urgent public health and economic crises; it was not necessarily a long-term solution to the many challenges facing our nation, further exacerbated by the pandemic.

Decades of disinvestment have resulted in serious deficits in our state, spanning across nearly every aspect of life. We can no longer afford the costs of inaction – it is now time for Arizona’s Senators and U.S. House members to help get the Build Back Better (BBB) Framework cross the finish line.

Though reduced in magnitude, the current BBB Framework will accomplish so much good for Arizona’s families and workforce. Arizona is ready for this investment and supports having the ultra-rich and corporations finally pay their fair share.

Positive payoffs for generations to come are in store if Congress votes to move this legislation forward. Just a few of the ambition programs outlined within the package include:

  • Universal Preschool for all 3- and 4-year Olds: Expand access to free high-quality preschool for more than 6 million children. This is a long-term program, with funding for six years.
  • Expanded Child Tax Credit: Extends the current expanded Child Tax Credit for more than 35 million American households, making refundability for the CTC permanent.
  • Housing Investment: $150 billion investment in housing affordability and reducing price pressures, including in rural areas. Funds will go towards building more than 1 million new affordable rental and single-family homes across the country, rental and down payment assistance, and public housing.

Despite the many disappointing cuts made to Build Back Better, most notably Paid Family and Medical Leave and the lowering of prescription drug prices, the vast benefit this package seeks to do cannot be overstated. Arizona needs this investment and desperately needs Senator Krysten Sinema and Senator Mark Kelly to say yes to this package.

Senators Sinema and Kelly, Arizonans Need Your Vote

A new poll from Hart and ALG Research shows that Arizonans overwhelmingly support paying for the critical needs of the state’s working families by ensuring the wealthy and corporations pay their fair share in taxes. The polling comes as the US Senate took the first steps this morning toward approving a $3.5 trillion budget resolution to set the stage to begin the budget reconciliation process to pass the human infrastructure package of President Biden's Build Back Better plan. The plan would increase opportunities for high-quality, affordable early childhood education; cut child poverty in half with the Child Tax Credit expansion; make health care, child care, eldercare and housing more affordable for working families, and is primarily paid for by raising taxes on the rich and corporations. People making less than $400,000 a year will not pay more in taxes.

The Arizona poll, conducted from July 13 to July 19, surveyed 500 registered voters with a 4.5% margin of error. Some of its key findings include:

  • Two-thirds (65%) of Arizona voters support President Biden’s American Families Plan, which is essentially Biden’s Build Back Better Plan, and 68% see his proposals to raise taxes on the wealthy and corporations as a strong reason to support it.
  • Biden’s proposals to raise taxes on those making over $400,000 meet with wide approval (71% support) in Arizona, including his proposal to tax capital gains at the same rate as income from wages (61% support). Arizona voters believe that raising taxes on those earning $400,000 or more will help the economy by a 35-point margin.
  • Increasing the corporate tax rate to 28% is embraced by 62% of Arizona voters, who also favor taxing foreign profits at 28% (66% support) and setting a minimum corporate tax rate of 15% (69% support).

As lawmakers begin the budget reconciliation process that will allow Biden’s Build Back Better agenda to pass with 50 votes, please send Senators Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly a note to express your support of the wealthy and corporations paying their fair share.

Contact Senators Sinema and Kelly

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