Healthy Growth & Development

Child Poverty in Puerto Rico

On Tuesday, February 11, 2020, the Youth Development Institute of Puerto Rico (Instituto del Desarrollo de la Juventud, IDJ), held a briefing entitled A Future of Child Poverty in Puerto Rico: How Much it Costs and What We Can Do About It. Congresswoman, Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon [R-PR] explained how alarming the issue of child poverty in

“Did You See Him?”: Poverty in America

Series of Hearings on Administration Actions that Threaten the Welfare of Children On February 5 and 6, 2020, four subcommittees of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform held four hearings to examine the negative effects of regulations proposed by the Trump Administration relating to children including child poverty, housing, hunger, and health. On Wednesday,

A Threat to America’s Children: The Trump Administration’s Proposed Changes to SNAP

On Thursday, February 6, 2020, the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy, held a hearing entitled A Threat to America’s Children: The Trump Administration’s Proposed Changes to Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Five witnesses gave testimony: Lisa Davis, Senior Vice President of the No Kid Hungry Campaign, Zach Pethan, Principal of

Solving America’s Child Care Crisis

On Thursday, February 6, the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary hearing, "Solving America's Child Care Crisis: Supporting Parents, Children, and the Economy" sought understanding from a panel of experts regarding how the federal government can better support families around the country find and afford high-quality child care. Every day across this country, regardless

America’s Rental Housing Crisis

A new report, America’s Rental Housing 2020, from the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies shows that despite a strong economy, the typical renter households are paying more than 30 percent of their income for housing. It has become harder than ever for middle-income Americans to pay for rent. From 2010 to 2018, households with

Administration Moves on Optional Medicaid Block Grant

On Thursday, January 30, the Trump Administration followed up on last week’s reports with their Medicaid Healthy Adult Opportunity proposal. The announcement came through CMS Administrator Seem Verma with careful avoidance of using the term block grant. The Administration is attempting to use their waiver authority to allow a more limited Medicaid block grant. In

Over 1.5 Million School Children Reported Homeless

On Wednesday, January 29, the National Center for Homeless Education, which is funded by the Department of Education, released the federal education data showing the highest number ever of 1.5 million public school children and youth experienced homelessness during the 2017-2018 school year. This is an 11 percent increase from the previous school year and

ACA Path to Full Coverage Outlined

Last week, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, a key Obama Administration advisor on health care reform, described how several states, using the ACA, have achieved near-universal coverage. At the same time, the Trump Administration moved forward on a proposal that would turn the Medicaid program into a partial state block grant. Emanuel writing in Politico said that

Maternal and Infant Health Crisis in America

On Tuesday, January 28, two subcommittees of the House Committee on Education and Labor, the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and the Subcommittee on Pensions and Workforce Protections conducted a hearing entitled Expecting More: Addressing America’s Maternal and Infant Health Crisis. Testimony was given by three witnesses: Stacey Stewart, CEO of March of Dimes, Nikia

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