On April 16th, 2025, the press reported that the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is planning to propose massive cuts to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) budget in the President’s FY 2026 Budget Request, according to a leaked draft. The document, called a “passback,” has not been finalized and
In the early hours of December 21, 2024, the Senate wrapped up the 118th Congress by passing a Continuing Resolution (CR) to fund the government until March 14th, extending the Appropriations deadline into the new Congress. The Senate passed several House-passed bills in their wrap-up session, including the Supporting America’s Children and Families Act, which
The 119th Congress officially began on January 3, 2025, when Vice President Harris certified the election results and the new members of Congress were sworn in. There are several major funding negotiations to come over the next six months, from Appropriations to reconciliation to the debt ceiling, and the Majority party has laid out a
On Wednesday, June 12, 2024, the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing, “Youth Residential Treatment Facilities: Examining Failures and Evaluating Solutions.” Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) opened the hearing by announcing the publication of a report, Warehouses of Neglect: How Taxpayers are Funding Systemic Abuse in Youth Residential Treatment Facilities. The Senate Finance Committee and Senate
On June 12, 2024, the Senate Judiciary Committee convened for a hearing on combatting the youth vaping epidemic by enhancing enforcement against illegal e-cigarettes. Committee Chair, Senator Dick Durbin (D- IL), noted an alarming level of youth using e-cigarettes and the failure of federal agencies to protect children from the addiction associated with use. A
The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) hosted a hearing on June 12, 2024, titled “The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act: Supporting Efforts to Meet the Needs of Youth, Workers, and Employers” to discuss the reauthorization of The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). The opening statement provided by Chair Bernie Sanders
A briefing hosted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine focused on the report on Reducing Intergenerational Poverty, as well as the evidence-based policies and programs to address racial disparities. The presence of racial disparities in the intergenerational persistence of low-income status was highlighted with key statistics. 46% of Native Americans and 37%
On Wednesday June 12th the Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin hosted a webinar on policy and practice approaches to supporting renters with low incomes at the risk of eviction. The webinar featured Dr. Mike Lentz, an associate professor at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs; Dr. Eva Rosen provost
The House is continuing to move forward with its appropriations process, writing and moving bills for the FY 2025 budget. The House and Senate Appropriations Committees will need to agree to and pass twelve funding bills, either separately or in a package together, on or before September 30th, or pass a continuing resolution (CR) to
On Wednesday, June 5, 2024, CWLA submitted comments for the record about the recent Senate Finance Committee hearing, “The Family First Prevention Services Act: Successes, Roadblocks, and Opportunities for Improvement.” From the comments: “While this legislation offers important advancements in child welfare policy, orienting Federal funding and attention toward the prevention of foster care, the
