The Senate continues to work on a slimmed-down budget reconciliation package that would extend ACA subsidies for two years and allow Medicare to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies to lower prescription drug costs on certain drugs. Senate leadership expects to vote on the package before the August recess.
On July 20, 2022, House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Bobby Scott (D-CA) released the Healthy Meals, Healthy Kids Act, his Child Nutrition Reauthorization bill. The Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) and other anti-hunger advocates have hailed the legislation, calling it a "comprehensive plan that will increase access to school meals, summer meals, and
On Thursday, July 14th, 2022, Senator Manchin (D-WV) said “unequivocally” during a meeting with Senate Majority Leader Schumer (D-NY) that he will only support reducing drug prices and a two-year extension of the Affordable Care Act subsidies as components of the reconciliation package. Although he insisted later during an interview that he still wanted to
As we reported previously, on Wednesday, June 29th, 2022, the House Committee on Appropriations released its Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill. Within this bill, the Committee allotted billions of dollars towards community projects for organizations and programs that address priorities on both sides of the aisle. Specifically,
On Thursday, June 30th the House Appropriations Committee held a markup on the Labor-HHS FY2023 Appropriations bill, the budget bill that covers the Administration of Children and Families. The bill passed with a 32-24 vote, moving forward without any Republican support, due in part to the removal of the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal dollars
The Center on Poverty and Social Policy released its newest monthly report on child poverty, finding that monthly poverty rates rose in April and May 2022, following the temporary decrease in March when most refundable tax credits were delivered to families who filed a federal tax return. In April, the monthly child poverty rate for
On June 22, 2022, HuffPost published an article detailing the need for attention to the child care crisis happening in our country. Detailing the history of the movement to federally fund child care as well as the opportunities and barriers that exist today, the article makes a compelling case for additional advocacy on this issue.
On Friday, June 24th, 2022, Congress passed the Keep Kids Fed Act, which would extend some of the pandemic-era nutrition waivers that allowed schools and other child-serving programs to provide free meals, which were set to expire on June 30th. Although this legislation will provide needed funding and support for child nutrition, it does not
In a new report released by First Focus on Children, the results of a nationwide poll conducted in May by Lake Research Partners showed that American voters believe, by roughly a 6-to-1 margin, that the federal government is spending too little on the health, safety, and well-being of children in this country. Additionally, by a
By Christine James-Brown, CWLA President and CEO The Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) is pleased to support the recently released Murray-Kaine Revised Child Care and Preschool Reconciliation Proposal and strongly advocates for its inclusion in the forthcoming reconciliation package. Child care and early childhood education are critical to the future well-being of all children