(UnitedVoice.com) – President Joe Biden is in the midst of his reelection campaign. He’s made quite a big deal about Bidenomics and bragged about his successes, like passing the massive bipartisan infrastructure bill that appears to be helping communities. However, the US Census Bureau recently released a new report about poverty in the country — and it’s not good news.
Supplemental Poverty Measure Skyrockets
On September 12, the Census Bureau released its newest data. According to the report, the Official Poverty Measure (OPM) remained unchanged from last year and sits at 11.5%. The Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) — which includes more taxes, government benefits, and expenses than the OPM — sharply increased.
In 2021, the SPM was 7.8%, but it shot up to 12.4%. The poverty measure for children increased more than double. It went from 5.2% in 2021 to 12.4% in 2022.
White House Responds
Shortly after the data was made public, the Biden administration released a statement acknowledging the increased SPM. The president’s team blamed the increase on the expiration of the expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC) and other benefits intended to help families get through the national health crisis.
The White House said more than 5 million kids were added to the poverty rolls when the CTC expired. The administration pushed lawmakers to make the CTC expansion permanent. It increased the maximum tax credit for kids ages 6 to 17 to $3,000 each and $3,600 for kids under the age of 6. Throughout 2021, parents could opt to receive a portion of that credit monthly, which boosted their income and helped families. However, Republican lawmakers refused to make the expansion permanent, and the program later ended. They argued that Biden’s handouts were exploding the national debt. Lawmakers were also concerned that, like other relief from the pandemic, there would be fraudulent payments that would cost Americans billions of dollars.
Reelection Pains
Americans have dealt with increased inflation that’s hurt them everywhere, from the grocery store to the doctor’s office, since the end of 2020. Though the economy appears to be on a path to recovery, Americans are still struggling every day. When voters head to the polls in 2024, they might very well decide they want a change.
It’s unclear who the Republican nominee will be in the next election, though former President Donald Trump is in the lead. His closest competition is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R), who has had measurable success in his state. Whoever runs on the GOP ticket will most certainly seize on the tough economic positions Americans find themselves in and promise change.
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