Tell Congress: Take the long view. Prevent childhood poverty.

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Between the years 2000 and 2009, the number of children living in poverty increased by 2.4 million. But it could have been much, much worse.

Millions of families receive a Child Tax Credit (CTC) which helps families with the cost of raising children. In 2009, this tax credit helped to keep 2.3 million people from poverty, including 1.3 million children.

The Child Tax Credit is set to expire in 2012, just like tax cuts for the wealthy. Unlike the CTC, tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires don't keep anybody out of poverty, they simply put more money in the pockets of people who need it least.

I'm writing today to ask you to urge your colleagues on the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (the super committee) to let the tax cuts for the rich expire as a part of their plan. We must prioritize fully funding the Child Tax Credit and other programs that help keep kids out of poverty - these programs are critical to the country's fight toward economic recovery.

The members of the super committee all have first-hand experience with the nationwide increase in childhood poverty. The national average in 2009 is 20% - 1 in 5 children living in poverty - but many of the states represented by super committee members have even more children who need our help:

Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona: 23%
Rep. Xavier Becerra of California: 20%
Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland: 12%
Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts: 13%
Rep. Dave Camp of Michigan: 23%
Rep. Fred Upton of Michigan: 23%
Sen. Max Baucus of Montana: 21%
Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio: 22%
Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania: 17%
Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina:     24%
Rep. Jeb Hensarling of Texas: 24%
Sen. Patty Murray of Washington: 16%

Please work to address this serious problem for the U.S. economy and our future by working with the super committee to propose and pass a plan letting tax cuts for the wealthy expire and fully funding the Child Tax Credit and other programs that help alleviate childhood poverty.

Thank you,

The super committee should know: 1 in 5 children are living in poverty.