"We had an opportunity to pass legislation that the President would have signed into law today, to help the 6.5 million American families and their children who were left out of the Republican tax package," said DeFazio. "Instead, 12 million children nationwide and 219,000 children in Oregon will have to wait until the Republicans decide to stop playing politics. They call it welfare- but the low-income and minimum wage families of this country contribute payroll taxes, excise taxes, sales taxes- and they deserve the same relief. Especially those who have proudly served their country-- because of an unfair tax loophole thousands of military families will receive little-to-no child tax credit."

Congress recently jammed through, and the President signed into law a $350 billion tax cut package targeted to wealthy investors, executives and those who earn over $353,000 a year. In order to stay within the $350 billion cap, child tax credits for working families were stricken at the last minute. Those tax cuts will be made possible by borrowing from Social Security, which is funded by working Americans’ payroll taxes.

Yet, millions of working Americans- families who earn between $10,500 and $26,625 a year- were denied the expanded child tax credit and will receive scant benefits from the rest of the tax package. According to Citizens for Tax Justice, 51 percent of Oregonians will receive less than $100 in tax relief from the President’s tax plan.