Congress returns this week for what will be a shortened session but it will be the first opportunity to determine how they will handle three front and center issues: guns, appropriations and DACA They return from their districts for the first time post-Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Florida shootings. Some will come back from
Working with the Center on Budget Policy and Priorities, CWLA is joining with other organizations to promote the Get It Back Campaign. The Center regularly works on encouraging families and now some individuals to be sure to apply for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). The campaign includes this video. The EITC allows lower income
A significant first step in the implementation of the Families First Act (read a CWLA description here) will come on October 1, 2018. Under the legislation the Department of Health and Human Services is directed to release the practice criteria required to define prevention services or programs. They are also directed to provide a pre-approved
One of the other issues confronting Congress this week will be what will be the next steps on DACA? There seems to be no path forward for the more than 700,000 DACA-covered young people. The expiration date or the implementation date for the Presidents executive order is March 5, next Monday. The courts, at the
Shortly before the President’s Day break, Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-CA), co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth, introduced the Health Insurance for Former Foster Youth Act, HR 4998. The legislation fixes a flaw in the ACA that extends Medicaid coverage to age 26 for any young person who exited foster care. With the Affordable
These are the victims of the Florida school shooting…just like before …as we are reminded by student and classmate David Hogg.
Shaquita Ogletree The Department of Justice FY 2019 budget request includes $229.5 million for the Office of Justice Programs’ (OJP) Juvenile Justice Programs. Funding for juvenile justice and delinquency prevention has declined to the lowest levels due to drastic budget cuts in recent years. Funding levels in recent years have strained programs to a fraction
The Family First Act made it into the CR/budget agreement after the House inserted it in their slimmed down CR proposal. The Senate picked up the package. It is close to the version that had been considered in late 2016 with some additional behind the scenes modifications added into the final version. It includes the
Many members of Congress (especially Democrats) voted against the CR/budget agreement because it lacked a firm commitment by congressional leadership (and the President for that matter) on action on DACA recipients. Shortly before the vote on the CR, Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WS) said, “I can’t speak to what our rule is going to look like;
On Tuesday January 30, the Senate gave final approval to a bill to protect Olympic athletes from potential abuse by toughening requirements on the US Olympic Committee and by increasing protection for survivors. The House acted on a modified version of S 534, the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act