To: President Donald Trump, The United States House of Representatives, and The United States Senate

Include WOTC extension in Fiscal Cliff Deal

The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) extension must be included in the fiscal cliff deal currently being negotiated.

The WOTC program and the employers who hire WOTC eligible individuals have helped over 6 million people leave public assistance and secure jobs. And now, thanks to the VOW Act, returning veterans with difficulty re-entering the workforce due to disabilities and other challenges have become part of the core program.

We also strongly urge you to support WOTC eligibility for unemployed or displaced workers and firms impacted by Hurricane Sandy be enacted in the Hurricane Sandy Relief bill now being written.

Congress has successfully used WOTC to speed recovery in disaster areas, as it did after Hurricane Katrina. In Hurricane Sandy the number of homes and businesses lost as well as displaced workers surpass those of Hurricane Katrina. This calls for a response which can be achieved by extending WOTC eligibility to businesses and individuals impacted by Hurricane Sandy.

It is imperative that the extension of WOTC and the Hurricane Sandy Relief Bill be included in the fiscal cliff deal with the White House.

Why is this important?

The Work Opportunity Tax Credit has been expired since December 31, 2011. Congress has failed to act on the extension of these credits. Now more than ever these credits need to be included in the Fiscal Cliff Deal being negotiated by the Whitehouse.