Rescission Bill Fades on Hill but White House Hopes
With members returning last week, there was a lack of congressional interest in pursuing a rescission package of cuts to the just-passed 2018 appropriations but the White House appeared to be feeling just the opposite.
Reports
Children’s Bureau Releases IM Describing Family First
The Children’s Bureau has released an information memorandum (IM) describing the Family First Act (PL 115-123). The IM is a basic description of the law and not a guidance or clarification of the many questions
CBO Sees $1 Trillion Deficits After Recent Months of Action
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has updated its deficit projections to conclude that deficits will rise to over $800 billion for this year (ending September 30) to a trillion dollars next year increasing to
HELP Readies CARA Update After Last Week’s Hearings
Shaquita Ogletree
Last Wednesday, April 11, the Senate HELP Committee held a hearing on additional legislation to deal with opioids. The legislation, The Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018, has been called by some a second
Anti-Poverty Group CPAG Offers Agenda To Lift Families and Children
The Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) has released a report, Our Kids, Our Future: Solutions to Child Poverty in the U.S that provides a collection of over 20 papers that provide recommendations to significantly
President Calls For Tougher Work Requirements
The report and briefing came at the end of the week when the President issued another executive order, Reducing Poverty in America by Promoting Opportunity and Economic Mobility. This order directs various federal Departments
Child Care Advocates Celebrate Big Increase
On Wednesday, April 11, child care advocates celebrated the biggest increase in child care funding history. The FY 2018 deal enacted last month increased annually appropriated child care funds by $2.3 billion raising the total
Combatting Food Insecurity
Shaquita Ogletree
On Tuesday, April 10, the Greater Boston Food Bank and Children’s Health Watch hosted a briefing to discuss the financial cost of food insecurity and hunger. Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA), co-chair of the Bipartisan
Congress Returns for Three Short Stretches
Congress returns this week, but the longest work periods are over for the 115th Congress, making it less likely anything of significance will pass between now and the election. Both houses will take a week
FY 2019 Appropriations Starts Maybe with FY 2018
Congress is behind on dealing with FY 2019 appropriations but before moving on those 12 bills, they may take a shot at cutting back on FY 2018. There were reports that Congressman Kevin McCarthy (R-CA),
HELP Committee Takes Up CARA Again, Plans of Safe Care
On Wednesday, the Senate HELP Committee will hold a hearing on additional legislation to deal with opioids. The legislation, The Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018, has been called by some a second version of
Opioids Funding Increases from March Budget
Part of what the Senate (and future House) action is about is the funding that was included in the FY 2018 appropriations. The Congressional response includes several increases and provisions that add some actual dollars
Health Care Numbers
Last week HHS released final numbers for health care enrollment through the ACA. Overall enrollment this year was 11.8 million, a 3.3 percent year-over-year decrease. A decrease that many see as undercutting claims that the
New Head of ACF/Family Support Pending Confirmation
With Brittney Gerteisen
One item the Senate may get to in the next month is the nomination of Lynn A. Johnson to be Assistant Secretary for Family Support, Department of Health and Human Service (formerly Administration
The Big Event of The Week Comes After Congress Exits: March for Our Lives
The biggest event last week was not the drama around a final FY 2018 budget bill but came on Saturday when several hundred thousand came to Washington to listen to a series of young
Final FY 2018 Appropriations Significant Increases for Children
A combination of higher budget caps tied to the defense budget and the increasing spread of opioid addiction combined into a final appropriation deal that resulted in some truly historic increases in children’s spending.
Leading the
Child Welfare and Other Items
The just-signed appropriations had a number of improvements for a child welfare advocacy community that does not normally experience. Congress was not “budget neutral”, e.g. we will increase child welfare funding if we cut child
The Child Care Deal
The $2.3 billion in new child care funding represents an historic increase not experienced since its inception in 1990 under the George H.W. Bush Administration. Other increases included the 1996 TANF law that included an
Juvenile Justice Funding Gets Bump
Shaquita Ogletree
The final federal budget for FY 2018 resulted in an overall Juvenile Justice funding level that is slightly above 2017. There is a notable $22 million increase for youth impacted by the opioid crisis
Opioids Funding Increases
The week started with the President in New Hampshire announcing his opioid abuse reduction plan and ended with Congress acting in a much bolder funding proposal. The President’s plan was thin on specifics but
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), Deferred Again
In the end a fix for DACA was never really considered. Despite the President’s comments on Friday it appears that a DACA fix was never a serious point of negotiation. As one of the three
Other Items in The Budget
There were several other funding increases and efforts included in the final bill. They did agree to strip out a Congressman Jay Dickey (R-AR) from 1996 which had a chilling effect on CDC research on
Foster Youth and Identity Theft in America
Shaquita Ogletree
On Monday, March 20, the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth and Cybersecurity Caucus co-hosted a briefing to discuss youth in foster care as victims of identity theft and what some companies are proposing to
Down to the Wire on Appropriations, Again
There are five legislative days left before a government shutdown. Congress headed into the weekend with a lack of clarity on where Congress is going on the final appropriation for FY 2018. It is looking
Senate Hearing on Assistant Secretary, Administration Nominates ACYF Head
The Senate Finance Committee is holding a confirmation hearing on Tuesday on the nomination of Lynn A. Johnson to be the next Assistant Secretary for Family Support (formerly Administration on Children and Families). As the