<p class="wp-block-paragraph">A bipartisan bill aims to provide additional financial support to millions of working families. The Stronger Start for Working Families Act, introduced on September 3 by Republican Carol Miller and three colleagues, proposes to lower the refundable child tax credit’s earnings threshold from $2,500 to $1. The bill is currently under consideration in the Ways and Means Committee. This proposal raises a broader question about whether Congress is providing immediate relief or fostering long-term financial security for families.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">If enacted, a qualifying parent earning $10,000 could receive approximately $1,500 instead of $1,125, subject to other limitations. This increase is attributed to applying the existing 15% credit formula to previously excluded earnings. Families without earnings or those already receiving the maximum credit would not see any changes, but supporters estimate that around 3.5 million families could benefit from this adjustment. A Senate version of the bill was introduced in January.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">For families facing financial challenges, the additional $375 could assist with essential expenses such as groceries, utilities, or car repairs. While this assistance is significant, it does not provide insight into whether the family's overall situation will improve in the long term.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The pandemic served as a larger experiment regarding child tax credits. In 2021, Congress temporarily expanded the child tax credit and made it fully refundable. Reports indicate that child poverty decreased significantly under this policy and increased again after it expired. This experience demonstrated that while assistance can reduce poverty during the period of payment, it does not necessarily lead to lasting financial independence.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Both immediate relief and long-term outcomes are important, but Congress must evaluate them separately. It is essential to determine how many families receive meaningful relief today and how many achieve financial security to remain out of poverty in the future.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Statistics on poverty illustrate this challenge. In 2025, official poverty rates fell to 10.2%, while supplemental poverty remained at 13.1%, showing no statistical change. The official measure counts cash income, while the supplemental measure includes government benefits and tax credits, subtracting taxes and essential expenses. Neither measure indicates whether the same families remain in poverty over time.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) averaged 42.1 million participants monthly in fiscal 2025, compared to 41.7 million the previous year, maintaining a population share of 12.3%. These figures reflect the number of individuals receiving assistance but do not indicate whether their long-term security has improved. Families can exit poverty while others enter, resulting in stable annual totals.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">This discussion is not new. In 1969, Daniel Patrick Moynihan assisted President Richard Nixon in developing the Family Assistance Plan, which aimed to combine financial support with work incentives. Their goal was to alleviate hardship while promoting independence, a challenge Congress continues to face.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Moynihan cautioned against "feeding the sparrows by feeding the horses," emphasizing the need to ensure that assistance reaches poor families effectively. His concerns remain relevant today. Congress needs to understand what assistance reaches recipients and the outcomes of its spending.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">During President George W. Bush's administration, a White House task force reviewed federal youth programs, identifying 339 programs and recommending clearer goals, coordination, and evaluation. The findings indicated that the government struggled to assess these programs collectively, rather than suggesting that all programs were ineffective.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In 2011, Congress acknowledged the broader issue by directing the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to develop and annually update a federal program inventory to identify government spending and its effectiveness. However, a March 2026 Government Accountability Office report revealed that OMB had not fully addressed 13 of 20 statutory requirements, leaving essential information about programs and their performance incomplete.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">An inventory is just the beginning. Congress must differentiate between the number of people served, the hardship alleviated, and the families achieving sustained independence. Simply counting programs or participants does not replace the need for measuring results.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The underlying issues also vary. A parent whose income does not cover rent faces different challenges than someone whose addiction hinders steady employment. Factors such as poor education, neighborhood crime, unstable family situations, and high housing costs require tailored responses. A tax credit may address immediate bills without resolving the underlying reasons for ongoing financial difficulties.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Before expanding assistance, Congress should establish a clear definition of the problems, identify intended beneficiaries, set measurable goals, and outline evaluation methods. Relief should be assessed based on the hardship reduced and the associated costs, while mobility should be evaluated based on sustained improvements in earnings and security. For seniors and individuals unable to work, stability may itself be a measure of success.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Congress should instruct OMB to complete the inventory. Within a year, the Government Accountability Office, in collaboration with the Census Bureau and federal agencies, should evaluate evidence on costs, participation, and effectiveness, while also identifying research gaps. Long-term studies should monitor sustained exits from poverty and subsequent returns. Existing assistance should continue during this process.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Congress must be held accountable for spending without first defining the need, establishing goals, and planning for monitoring and evaluation. The national debt exceeding $40 trillion necessitates accountability.</p>