The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is one of our nation's most successful anti-poverty programs. It provides an incentive to work and helps offset the impacts of other taxes on low and moderate-income workers. Unlike most tax credits, it's fully refundable. So it gives many low-income workers more money to support themselves and their families.

Last year, the EITC lifted an estimated 6.6 million people out of poverty. Half of them were children. Without it, the child poverty rate would have been nearly one-third higher.

The economic recovery act made two improvements in the EITC. It added a third tier of credit for workers with three or more children. It also expanded relief from the so-called marriage penalty, thus enabling many families with two working parents to receive larger benefits.

These two improvements will expire at the end of the year unless Congress extends them. The President's proposals for extending the Bush-era tax cuts would make them permanent. The tax cut extension bill introduced by the Senate' lead Republican would let them die. This puts them at higher risk.

So tell your representatives in the House and Senate that you want them to make the current version of the EITC permanent.