Susanna Birdsong, Fellow

Susanna Birdsong is a Family Economic Security Fellow at the National Women's Law Center. Her work at the Center includes advocacy to preserve and strengthen tax credits and other economic supports available to low-income families. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina and American University Washington College of Law. Before law school, Susanna worked for the North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness and Habitat for Humanity International, focusing her efforts on increasing access to affordable housing and support services for low-income individuals and families. 

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My Take

Happy 100th Birthday, Personal Income Tax! Two Reasons to Celebrate (and One Suggestion to Grow On)

Posted by Susanna Birdsong, Fellow | Posted on: October 03, 2013 at 11:58 am

Last week, my daughter celebrated her first birthday. Marking that important milestone for my family allowed me to reflect on the difference that just a year can make. Today I’m celebrating another important milestone for my family and for yours—the one hundredth birthday of our federal personal income tax—and reflecting on its benefits for all of us.

One hundred years ago today, President Wilson signed the Revenue Act of 1913 into law, giving birth to the personal income tax. Although that first personal income tax looked a lot different than it does today, its adoption signified an important shift in our country’s approach to raising revenue. In honor of this important birthday, here are two things to celebrate about the federal personal income tax—and one suggestion to make the next hundred years even better.

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Tags: Income Tax, Safety Net, Taxes, Federal Tax Policy, Tax & Budget | Add new comment

One Lesson From Yesterday’s Poverty Numbers: Don’t Play Politics with the Social Safety Net

Posted by
Emily Wales, Fellow
Susanna Birdsong, Fellow
| Posted on: September 18, 2013 at 10:37 am

In 2012, 46.5 million people, including nearly 17.8 million women and 16 million children, were living in poverty, according to figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau yesterday. Numbers that big are often difficult to comprehend, but the message is clear: we have a long way to go to end poverty in America.

Although these new data confirm that the poverty rate remains stubbornly high, it is also important to note that without key safety net programs, the statistics would be far worse. What we know for sure is that programs like Social Security, unemployment insurance, food stamps (SNAP), and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), lift millions of people out of poverty and reduce hardship for millions more.

SNAP benefits are not counted as income in Census Bureau’s official poverty numbers—but we know they make a real difference to struggling families. For example, the Census Bureau reported today that if SNAP benefits had been counted as income, the 2012 poverty rate would be 1.3 percentage points lower—and four million more people would be above the poverty line.

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Tags: Census Bureau and Census Data, Family Support Programs, Family Support Programs, Poverty, SNAP (Food Stamps), Data on Poverty & Income, Poverty & Income Support | Add new comment