tomorrow is Earned Income Tax Credit Awareness Day--a day, as we approach the tax season, for getting the word out about this tax credit that is a lifeline for working families. The EITC provides an incentive to work. It puts thousands of dollars back into the pockets of low-wage and moderate-wage workers every year. President Reagan called it ``the best anti-poverty measure to come out of Congress.'' The work that Senator Reed and others and I did on the earned-income tax credit this year to permanently expand it was called by some organizations the most important anti-poverty initiative, except for the Affordable Care Act, in the last 20 years that Congress has done. Last year 27 million American households--950,000 households just in my State alone, in Ohio--claimed the EITC and received an average refund of $2,400. So for somebody making $15,000 or $20,000 or $30,000 a year, when they file their taxes in February or March, they literally can get a check from the Federal Government, on average--I am not promising everybody specific amounts because each situation is different--on average, they will get a check for $2,400. One of the best things this body did last year was to permanently expand the earned-income tax credit, but there is still more we need to do. There is one glaring hole in the program we need to fix. Under current law--back up a little bit. The earned-income tax credit was aimed primarily at families with children but not entirely.…
Share
More from Sherrod Brown
During Black History Month and throughout the year, it is important that we honor the legacies of those that came before us. Today, I rise to reflect on a remarkable story that hits close to home. I recently learned that a late resident of…
It has been 100 days of broken promises, cuts, and chaos from the Trump administration. The damage has been done from my district in Cleveland to rural America. Here is how Trump has hurt the farm economy in just 100 days: President Trump…
It’s heartbreaking to think that all this time these products could have been harmful and it’s enraging that now we have so much evidence that we need to take action and it’s not happening.
The SAVE Act is yet another Republican attack on women. This bill would make registering to vote extremely difficult for millions of women who have changed their name, including over 2 million Ohioans.





