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Expanding Tax Relief for Working Ohioans
By U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown
Guest Column
During his State of the Union address last Tuesday,
President Obama made it clear that the key to economic
prosperity is ensuring that even more Americans can get
ahead. Too many Americans work hard and take responsibility,
only to find themselves living paycheck-to-paycheck. To grow
our economy, we must invest in education and manufacturing,
while helping working Americans make ends meet through tax
relief like the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC).
The EITC provides a critical lifeline for low-income
workers, lifting millions of people out of poverty. In 2012,
nearly 945,000 Ohio families received an EITC of about
$2,300. This credit is invaluable to parents trying to
stretch their paychecks to put food on the table, pay bills,
and provide medical care for their children.
Low-income workers without children, however, receive much
lower EITC benefits or none at all – making them the only
group of workers that can be taxed into poverty. My guest to
the State of the Union address, Jason Jacobs, is one of
these workers.
Jason graduated from Ohio University and, like so many other
young Ohioans, he was determined to make a difference in his
community. He now works as a para-professional, providing
critical education and care for junior high students with
disorders including autism, ADHD, and severe anxiety.
Despite the hours he works in the classroom and the
after-hours time that goes into planning lessons, Jason is
only just scraping by. His story is all too common.
My plan to expand the EITC to workers without children would
put more money in Jason’s pocket and in the pockets of 15.2
million tax filers nationwide. This money – which gets
pumped right back into the economy – is used to pay for
essential expenses, like groceries and prescription
medications.
Ohioans who work hard to put food on the table deserve the
chance to provide for their families and build economic
security. I look forward to working with my Senate
colleagues – on both sides of the aisle – to stand up for
working Americans.
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