On March 29, 2023 the Congressional Dad’s Caucus had its kickoff meeting with a panel of lived experience. Representative Jimmy Gomez (D-CA), the Chair and Founder of the Dad’s Caucus, opened the discussion by highlighting the importance of “family friendly” policy. Several other congressmen offered their support, including Representative Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), founder of the
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is under consideration in both the Appropriations debate as well as the looming Farm Bill reauthorization due this year. These debates are happening as a “hunger cliff” is affecting SNAP, as benefits are being rolled back resulting in reductions of $82 per month on average, a significant sum for
On Wednesday, March 28th, the House Ways and Means Committee held a hearing on President Biden’s FY24 Budget proposal with HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. Although Chairman Jason Smith [R-MO] and Ranking Member Richard Neal [D-MA] raised diverging criticisms, there was bipartisan agreement on preventing “surprise billing,” providing Alzheimer treatments, and holding corporations accountable for migrant
In January, House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro sent letters to Federal agency heads asking for information about how the agencies would be impacted by the House Republicans’ proposal to cap spending at the FY 2022 funding levels. “The American people and Members of Congress deserve to know the real impact this policy would
Voices for Healthy Kids hosted a webinar on Wednesday, March 22nd, titled “The Power of the Purse: Understanding the Federal Budget Process and How it Shapes Policy Confirmation.” The speaker was Emily J. Holubowich, the National Vice President of Federal Advocacy at the American Heart Association, and she explained what the “Power of the Purse”
The Urban Institute hosted a webinar on March 7, 2023, that reviewed their recent research report on Education and Training Vouchers (ETVs). The report highlights the various barriers that prevent youth in foster care from attending higher education and ultimately had a sample inclusion of over 125,000 young people (ages 16 and above) in foster
On March 15th, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities released a new report about the harms of work requirements in safety net programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid. The report notes that most working-age adults receiving assistance from these programs are already working for pay or they are temporarily between
On March 10th, 2023, the House Ways and Means Committee hosted a hearing with Treasury Secretary Yellen about President Biden’s budget, released the day prior. The hearing, which lasted more than three hours, was an opportunity for the new majority party to press the Secretary on many of the fiscal policies of the Biden Administration
On March 8, 2023, the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs committee held a hearing to address the current homelessness crisis. Housing affordability has been a longstanding issue, and emergency efforts during the pandemic helped significantly reduce the number of homeless people. However, this funding has now expired, and the homelessness crisis is yet again
On March 7, 2023, the Senate Finance Committee hosted a hearing titled “Tax Policy’s Role in Increasing Affordable Housing Supply for Working Families.” Witnesses included Denise Scott (President of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation), Steve Walker (Executive Director of the Washington State Housing Finance Commission), Sharon Wilson Geno (President of the National Multifamily Housing Council),