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),
Child Trends released a brief on the impact of cash assistance, like the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit, for families with infants and toddlers that have low incomes. Cash assistance is one way to supplement incomes and address the economic burdens these families face. The brief contained evidence-based conclusions on the
On March 1, 2023, The House Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance held a hearing titled, “The Fentanyl Crisis in America: Inaction is No Longer an Option.” Under the jurisdiction of the House Judiciary committee, the subcommittee is led by Chairman Biggs [R-AZ] and Ranking Member Lee [D-TX]. In 2021, over 107,000 people in
On February 28, 2023, the Care Can’t Wait Coalition hosted a Day of Action on Columbus Circle. The coalition advocates for the trifecta of aging and disability care, paid leave, and childcare and is promoting the Child Care for Working Families Act and the Paid Family and Medical Leave Act. The Day of Action featured
The House Committee on Homeland Security held its first hearing of the 118th Congress on February 28, 2023, titled, “Every State is a Border State: Examining Secretary Mayorkas’ Border Crisis.” Under the leadership of Chairman Mark Green (R-TN) and Ranking Member Bennie Thompson (D-MS), this hearing discussed contemporary immigration policies at the U.S. Southern Border