Family & Community Support

Second Hearing on TANF for Ways and Means Subcommittee

The House Committee on Ways and Means hosted a Subcommittee hearing on July 13, 2023 titled “‘Where is All the Welfare Money Going?’ Reclaiming TANF-Non-Assistance Dollars to Lift Americans Out of Poverty.” The hearing examined Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds in light of recent reports of misuse by states. Prominent speakers included Chairman

Senate Finance Hearing on the Child Tax Credit

On July 13th, 2023, the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight held a hearing to assess the last 25 years of the Child Tax Credit and discuss future implementation of the credit. The hearing began with an opening statement from the Chairman and Senator Bennet(D-CA) that called for the expansion of the Child

The Farm Bill and Children’s Health: Advocacy Needed

On July 13th, 2023, The Child and Student Nutrition Alliance Held a webinar to discuss the Farm Bill and its impact on children's health. Claire Borzner, Senior Professional Staff, and Khadija Jahfiya, Professional Staff, from the Senate Agriculture Committee explained the current state of the Farm Bill and ways to bolster children's voices in negotiations.

SUPPORT Act Markup Includes QRTP/IMD Bill

On July 13, 2023, the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Health held a markup of seventeen bills, including H.R. 4056, the Ensuring Medicaid Continuity for Children in Foster Care Act. This legislation would exempt Qualified Residential Treatment Programs (QRTPs) from the institutions for mental disease (IMD) exclusion in Medicaid. If this bill were

Thirty Years Of The FMLA: Webinar

On June 28th, 2023, the Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin- Madison held a webinar, "Thirty Years of the FMLA: What’s Worked, What Hasn’t, and Recommendations for More Equitable Policies," to discuss the advantages and drawbacks of the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and ways to improve equity and

Appropriations Bills Move Forward

Both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees are moving forward in the Appropriations process, releasing text and holding mark-ups for several of the Appropriations bills over the past couple of weeks, including the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies bill, which is covered below. Leaders of both Committees have made a

Agriculture Appropriations Bills Pass out of Committees

Both the House and Senate have started the process of considering Appropriations Bills, including the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Bill. This bill includes nutrition programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Woman, Infants, and Children (WIC). On June 14th, the full House

SUPPORT Act Hearing on Substance Use Legislation

On June 21, 2023, the House Health Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee held a legislative hearing entitled “Responding to America’s Overdose Crisis: An Examination of Legislation to Build Upon the SUPPORT Act” to evaluate how the Substance Use–Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities (SUPPORT) Act has worked

Resolution to Fully Address Child Poverty

Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) introduced a Resolution to Fully Address Child Poverty on June 23, 2023. The Resolution, which has 19 Democratic co-sponsors calls on Congress to address child poverty, recognizing that the United States continues to have a significantly higher rate of child poverty compared to other wealthy nations because we fail to sufficiently

Shortchanged: The Impact of Chronic Underinvestment in Public Health

On June 20th, The Coalition for Health Funding and Trust for Americas Health released “Shortchanged: The Impact of Chronic Underinvestment in Public Health,” which discussed the public health gaps that result from persistent underfunding. The Congressional Briefing and National Webinar were given by a panel including Erin Will Morton, Executive Director of Coalition for Health

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