Congress Doing Only Thing They Can: CRs

It is looking more like the only major accomplishments for the 115th Congress will be the large tax cut package of 2017 and passing numerous CRs. As Monday approaches it looks likely that the Congress will extend FY 2018 for the fifth time since the fiscal year started on October 1. That CR may extend

More Voices Demanding Increases in Child Care Funding

The Child Care and Early Learning Coalition received a bipartisan boost on January 19, when two former members of Congress representing both parties and ideologies came together to endorse a call for significant increase in child care funding by asking congressional appropriators to double funding for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) for

A Look At Child Welfare During a Drug Crisis

Recently one of our members passed along this 2017 article based on the experiences of child protection workers in one overburdened county in Ohio—one of those areas overwhelmed by the spread of opioids. ‘It’s just horrific’: caseworkers break their silence to reveal toll of addiction on children Read the article by The Guardian, and understand

Budget Delayed One Week—That is –Next Year’s Budget

The Administration announced it will delay the release of next year’s budget to February 12. That is FY 2019, not FY 2018 which still has not been finalized. As a result the 2019 proposal will base spending levels on an estimate of what Congress will finally do in FY 2018. In all likelihood there will

CHIP Extension But No Health Extenders, Home Visiting

CHIP has now been extended for six years but many other parts of the “health extenders” package remain in limbo. The CHIP extension became easy when CBO revised its long term cost projections. It basically paid for itself since some of the recent restrictions on the ACA may drive up government costs if families are

CWLA Joins Families USA In Call to Oppose More Health Care Cuts

Last week CWLA signed onto a letter led by Families USA calling on Congress to protect access to affordable, high-quality and comprehensive health insurance. The letter tells congressional leaders: “Medicaid, Medicare, and private health insurance, including insurance provided through the health insurance marketplaces, support the health, well-being, and financial security of millions of families across

What Will 2019 Budget Look Like

No official announcement has been made but much of Washington is expecting that the Administration will release their proposed FY 2019 budget in the first week of February.  That is required by law. But that budget will base program cuts and increases on what FY 2018 spending was set at, which has not yet been

Washington Marching Toward Another Budget Deadline

Today (Tuesday, January 16) marks the 108th day of the FY 2018 fiscal year without a budget and it looks that that number will continue to increase by this time next week. Even if there is a deal this week it will require a fourth CR to allocate whatever funds that are agreed upon. That

HELP Committee Continues Focus on Opioids

By Brittney Gerteisen On Tuesday, January 9, the Senate HELP Committee continued their examination of the spread of opioid addiction by hearing from one witness, author Sam Quinones. Sam Quinones is the author of “Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic,” an award-winning book published in 2015 that tells the story of how opiates

Senators Call For More Opioid Funding Now

On Tuesday, January 9, Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) held a press conference indicating that the Democrats are seeking $25 billion more in opioid funding to be spread across the current fiscal year and the 2019 fiscal year. This year’s budget includes a $500 million increase because of legislation enacted at

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