12.10.20

Durbin Joins Virtual Caregiving Town Hall to Discuss Support for Caregivers

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined an Unpaid Caregiver Virtual Town Hall – hosted by United Way of Illinois, Illinois PIRG, and Economic Security for Illinois – to discuss the importance of unpaid caregiving and listen to personal caregiving experiences. During the event, Durbin also discussed his support for expanding and modernizing the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Older Americans Act, which was reauthorized in March and included a Durbin bill to increase funding for family caregiver support programs—including for training and counseling.

“I hear often from constituents who share their stories about the costly, time-intensive, and emotionally draining work it takes to provide care for family members, and this has only become more difficult during this pandemic,” said Durbin.  “Across the board, we need to expand the reach of caregiving support, while recognizing the incredible contribution that caregivers provide to Illinois and the nation.” 

Last year, Durbin and a group of Senate colleagues introduced the Working Families Tax Relief Act, which would cut taxes for workers and families by expanding the EITC and Child Tax Credit (CTC). In Illinois, the Working Families Tax Relief Act would boost the incomes of 1.7 million households, 4.3 million people, and 1.8 million children. Durbin is also a cosponsor of theAmerican Family Act, which would create a new $300 per month young child tax credit for children under six, expand the CTC to $3,000 per year for children six or older, and make the CTC fully refundable.  

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