The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) and the Community Partnership Group published their priorities for the reauthorization of the FARM Bill and a guide for how this Congress must reshape SNAP policies. Currently SNAP policies “...focu[s] too narrowly on individual choice and behavior…rather than eradicating the underlying causes of poverty and hunger.” Their
On February 22nd, 2023, Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Susan Collins (R-ME) released a call to action regarding housing for youth in the foster care system who are transition age. Both senators are members of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, of which Senator Klobuchar serves as the co-chair, which is the largest bipartisan, bicameral caucus
The Senate HELP Committee hosted its first hearing of the 118th Congress on February 16th, 2023, titled, “Examining Health Care Workforce Shortages: Where Do We Go From Here?” Under the leadership of Chairman Bernie Sanders (D-VT) and Ranking Member Bill Cassidy (R-LA), this hearing discussed navigating the healthcare workforce crisis with leaders from universities and
The Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) recently released a publication entitled “Supporting Young Adults through a Guaranteed Income.” Authored by Senior Policy Analyst Alexander Coccia, the publication focuses upon the need for young adults to have robust economic support. Young adulthood, specifically the ages of 18 to 25, is a crucial transition
During the State of the Union Address, President Biden took the opportunity to address the debt ceiling negotiations, noting that there had been proposals to make cuts to Medicare and Social Security spending. Republicans vehemently and loudly denied such plans, and in one of the few bipartisan moments of the night, both parties seemed to
On Wednesday, February 15th, First Focus on Children and The Education Trust hosted a webinar to educate on struggles that may arise with the reauthorization of the FARM Bill this year. Katie Bergh, Senior Policy Analyst for the Food Assistance Team at the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, spoke about her previous experience with
On February 8th, 2023, The House Committee on Education and the Workforce held its first hearing of the year, titled “American Education in Crisis.” The hearing called attention to the challenges the education system still faces after recovering from the pandemic. Witnesses were Virgnia Gentles of the Education Freedom Center at the Independent Women’s Forum,
On February 7, 2023, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) held a rally to shed light on the child care crisis. Along with several other senators, representatives, and guest speakers, Murray highlighted the importance of rebuilding the infrastructure of our child care system, and the steps President Biden should take in order to mitigate and solve this
Last Thursday, February 2, 2023, the Council for a Strong America hosted a briefing on childcare and presented findings from a study conducted by ReadyNation, a coalition advocating for public investment in early childhood. The event opened with a statement from Rep. Jeff VanDrew (R-NJ), who emphasized the importance of ReadyNation’s work and the findings
On February 1, 2023, Democratic lawmakers marked the 30th anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) with a press conference announcing a new legislative package to establish a paid family and medical leave program and to expand and modernize FMLA. The FMLA program has successfully allowed employees to take reasonable time off to