Congressman James E. Clyburn
Proudly Presents a

Help is Here
Town Hall Tour

Tell the People Tour

Event Summary

We are emerging from a very difficult period in our nation's history. The challenges of COVID-19 required Congress to "double down" on behalf of the American people. 

I am working with the White House to deliver on critical priorities that will help provide relief, and begin the recovery process for families and communities in the Sixth Congressional District.

To hear more about the work being done to make this country's greatness accessible and affordable for all, please join me at one or more stops of my "Help is Here" Town Hall Tour between July 6-14, 2021, at the times and locations listed below. 

For your convenience, before each event at 4:30 PM, there will be COVID-19 vaccines available for eligible South Carolinians. IRS representatives will also be on hand to assist attendees with accessing their Child Tax Credit payments.

I hope you can join me.

Tour Locations & RSVP

Note: All events will be held in accordance with Center of Disease Control guidance.
Those who are unvaccinated should wear a mask.”

There will be COVID-19 vaccines availableThere will be COVID-19 vaccines available for eligible South Carolinians before each event at 4:30PM.

STOP #1

Tuesday, July 6, 2021 at 6PM
Lakeside Community Center
153 James L. Taylor Drive
Ridgeland, SC 29936

 

STOP #2

Thursday, July 8, 2021 at 6PM
Weldon Auditorium
7 Maple Street
Manning, SC 29102

STOP #3

Monday, July 12, 2021 at 6PM
Trident Technical College
Building 920, Salon FG
7000 Rivers Avenue
North Charleston, SC 29406

STOP #4

Tuesday, July 13, 2021 at 6PM
Santee Conference Center
1737 Bass Drive
Santee, SC 29142

STOP #5

Wednesday, July 14, 2021 at 6PM
Garners Ferry Adult Activity Center
8620 Garners Ferry Road
Hopkins, SC 29061

CONTACT: 803-799-1100 Columbia / 843-355-1211 Kingstree / 803-854-4700 Santee

Expanded Child Tax Credit

What Did Congress Do?

The American Rescue Plan temporarily increased the Child Tax Credit provided to eligible American families with children. Households filing jointly with incomes up to $150,000 and single parents with incomes up to $112,500 will be eligible to receive:

  • $3,600 for every child under 6 years old
  • $3,000 for every child aged 6-17 years old

Households with slightly higher incomes may also be eligible for reduced payments. Starting July 15th, families will begin receiving an advanced portion of this refund in the form of monthly payments through December 2021.

How Can You Benefit?

If you filed a tax return for 2019 or 2020, or completed the IRS non-filers tool last year to receive a stimulus check, you will automatically receive the Child Tax Credit in your bank account via direct deposit or through a check in the mail. 

If you do not fall into one of these categories, sign up at https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021

What Does Congress Need To Do?

Because the American Rescue Plan only increased and expanded the Child Tax Credit for 2021, Congress needs to make this expanded tax credit permanent, so families can continue receiving this financial lifeline.

HOW CAN I BENEFIT?

If you filed a tax return for 2019 or 2020, or completed the IRS non-filers tool last year to receive a stimulus check, you will automatically receive the child tax credit in your bank account via direct deposit or through a check in the mail.

  • If you do not fall into one of these categories, you may sign up on the IRS’s website here. https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/advance-child-tax-credit-payments-in-2021.

Families will get their remaining credit when they file their 2021 tax return. To be eligible, children must:

  • Have a Social Security number,
  • Live with the filer for at least half of the year,
  • Be under age 18 as of December 31, 2021, and
  • Be claimed on the filer’s tax return.

IF I’M ELIGIBLE, WHEN WILL I RECEIVE MY CHILD TAX CREDITS?

Check out the schedule below to see when you will receive your payment:

Monthly

   Max. payment per child; under 6    

   Max. payment per child; 6 to 17   

July 15: First 2021 check

$300

$250

Aug. 13

$300

$250

Sept. 15

$300

$250

Oct. 15

$300

$250

Nov. 15

$300

$250

Dec. 15: Last 2021 check

$300

$250

April 2022: Second half of payment  

$1,800

$1,500

 

HOW DOES THE SIXTH DISTRICT BENEFIT?

The expanded and improved Child Tax Credit will provide a lifeline for working families and significantly reduce child poverty. The expansion will have significant impact in South Carolina’s Sixth Congressional District. Key findings from a report compiled by Co-Equal include:

  • Nearly 136,000 children in the Sixth District, 92.1%, will benefit from expanded Child Tax Credit.
  • The improved Child Tax Credit lifts approximately 11,300 children in the Sixth District out of poverty, including 4,000 kids under the age of six

WHAT DOES CONGRESS NEED TO DO?

The American Rescue Plan temporarily increased and expanded the Child Tax Credit for 2021.

  • President Biden and Congress must work together to make the increase and expansion permanent so that families in South Carolinians continue to have access to this financial lifeline.

Lower Health Insurance Premiums

What Did Congress Do?

For the vast majority of Americans, the American Rescue Plan lowers the cost of health insurance obtained through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace for 2021 and 2022.  Now, a family of four with incomes between $26,500 and $39,750 will pay no monthly premium for health insurance and have significantly reduced deductibles. For the first time, a family of four with income above $106,000 is eligible to receive health insurance through the marketplace with premiums that don’t exceed 8.5% of their income. 

How Can You Benefit?

  • If you do not have health insurance, go to HealthCare.Gov and apply for coverage by August 15.  
  • If you already get your health insurance through HealthCare.Gov, you can check to see if you are eligible for lower premiums by returning to HealthCare.gov and updating your enrollment information by August 15 (or you can wait to claim the benefit when you file your 2021 taxes).  

What Does Congress Need to Do?

Because the American Rescue Plan only lowered the cost of HealthCare.gov health insurance plans for 2021 and 2022, Congress needs to make these savings permanent.

WHAT DOES THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN CHANGE?

The American Rescue Plan made several changes to the subsidies available to those who get their insurance on HealthCare.Gov, including:

  • Premium-Free Plans. The American Rescue Plan provides premium-free health insurance plans if a family’s income is between 100% and 150% of the federal poverty level, about $26,500 and $39,750 for a family of four. Prior to the American Rescue Plan, people were required to contribute at least something to their monthly premium payment regardless of their income.

  • Caps on Premium Contributions. Through the end of 2022, families’ contributions to their monthly premium are capped at 8.5% of their income. Before the American Rescue Plan, anyone making above 400% of the federal poverty level, or about $106,000 for a family of four, did not qualify for a subsidy.
  • Subsidies for Those Receiving Unemployment Benefits.Anyone who receives unemployment in 2021 is treated as if their income were 133% of the federal poverty level and can purchase a qualifying plan on HealthCare.Gov for a premium-free plan.

HOW CAN I ACCESS BENEFITS?

Most people currently enrolled in a Marketplace plan through HealthCare.Gov may qualify for more health insurance premium subsidies.

  • IF YOU NEED HEALTH INSURANCE: When you apply for Marketplace coverage on HealthCare.Gov (open enrollment lasts until August 15), you will find out if you qualify for a premium tax credit that lowers your monthly premium.
  • IF YOU ALREADY HAVE A HEALTHCARE.GOV PLAN: Log in to HealthCare.Gov and update your application and enrollment. Your new eligibility results will show you the extra tax credit amount. If you qualify for a greater subsidy, reselect your current plan for the changes to take effect to lower your premiums for the rest of the year. You are allowed to change plans before open enrollment ends on August 15 if you so choose.

For more information, you can visit HealthCare.Gov/More-Savings.

WHAT DOES CONGRESS NEED TO DO?

These premium tax credits are only available in calendar years 2021 and 2022, after which they will expire.

  • President Biden and Congress must work together to make these subsidies permanent so that all South Carolinians have access to affordable health insurance.

Medicaid Expansion

What Did Congress Do?

The Affordable Care Act provided more funding to states to expand Medicaid eligibility so that low-income Americans can get health care coverage through Medicaid at little to no cost. However, 12 states, including South Carolina, still choose not to accept this support to expand Medicaid. The American Rescue Plan provides even more incentives for these remaining states to expand.

Why Can’t You Benefit?

Because South Carolina has refused to expand Medicaid, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, nearly 200,000 South Carolinians who should be eligible for Medicaid are not. More than half of this population are left without any financial assistance to help them access affordable health care.

What Does Congress Need To Do?

If the South Carolina General Assembly and Governor continue to turn down this expanded financial assistance, Congress needs to provide the benefit of Medicaid expansion directly to Americans without allowing state governments the opportunity to decline this essential assistance.

WHAT HAPPENED TO MEDICAID UNDER THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT?

The Affordable Care Act, which Congressman Clyburn voted for in 2010, included a provision to expand Medicaid to millions more Americans, with the federal government paying the vast majority of the cost and states responsible for a small portion no greater than 10%.

WHY CAN'T I BENEFIT?

  • In 2012, the Supreme Court made it much easier for states to refuse to participate in the ACA’s Medicaid expansion. Despite significant incentives to expand, South Carolina is one of 12 states that continue to hold out.
  • As a result, more than 4 million people in those 12 states who should be eligible for Medicaid remain uninsured, including about 200,000 in South Carolina. More than 2 million—more than 100,000 in South Carolina—fall into the “coverage gap” where their incomes are too high to qualify for Medicaid but too low to qualify for subsidies on the Affordable Care Act Marketplaces. This leaves them without any financial assistance to help them access affordable health care.

WHAT DOES CONGRESS NEED TO DO?

Despite the added incentive provided by the American Rescue Plan to expand Medicaid—South Carolina’s state budget would gain $600 million over the next two years if our state government chose to expand—it has become clear that Congress must find a way to extend health care to these Americans without relying on states. Congressman Clyburn is working to get this done in upcoming legislation enacting President Biden’s American Families Plan.

HOW WOULD SOUTH CAROLINA BENEFIT IF MEDICAID IS EXPANDED?

  • FEWER UNINSURED RESIDENTS: Research from 2020 by the Urban Institute suggests that 217,000 uninsured South Carolinians could gain health coverage if Medicaid is expanded, lowering the uninsured rate from 14.1% to 8.9%.

  • REDUCED RACIAL DISPARTIES: States that expanded Medicaid saw disparities in health insurance coverage between Black and white residents decrease from 8.4 percentage points to 3.7.