Based on current trends regarding COVID-19, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is planning for the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), as declared under Section 319 of the Public Health Service Act, to end on May 11, 2023. On March 17, 2023, Assistant Secretary for Children and Families January Contreras issued a Dear
Several articles have indicated that the maternal health crisis is significantly worsening, especially in terms of maternal mortality. Maternal deaths are defined to be the death of a woman who is pregnant or is 42 days from delivery from any non-accidental cause related to the pregnancy itself. In 2021, the US had one of its
CWLA released the Summary of the President's FY2024 Budget Proposal and the FY 2024 Federal Budget Chart. Each year, CWLA compiles this targeted summary and budget chart explaining the President's budget proposal, with a particular focus on spending and legislative requests that directly impact children and families. President Biden released his FY 2024 budget on
On March 15, 2023, the Senate Committee on the Budget held a hearing on the President's FY24 budget proposal. Shalanda Young, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), was the sole witness. In the current environment with a looming debt ceiling, there was a clear divide in priorities between Chairman Whitehouse [D-RI]
On March 14th, 2023, President Biden presented a new executive order, Executive Order on Reducing Gun Violence and Making Our Communities Safer, regarding gun policy in the aftermath of the mass shooting in Monterey Park, California this January. The executive order tasks the Attorney General Merrick Garland and various Administration Secretaries with shoring up “red
In an article by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the racial disparities in sudden unexpected infant deaths (SUID) were examined. While general infant mortality rates have continuously fallen in the US through 2020, SUID rates have remained stagnant. Moreover, in 2020 researchers discovered a rise in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) rates, as well as
On Thursday, March 9, 2023, President Biden released his budget. It was a partial release with more details to be released this week. CWLA will have a more complete review later this week. Overall, the Administration proposes increases in the human services areas of the budget and medical services while proposing a projected reduction in
On March 1, 2023, The House Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance held a hearing titled, “The Fentanyl Crisis in America: Inaction is No Longer an Option.” Under the jurisdiction of the House Judiciary committee, the subcommittee is led by Chairman Biggs [R-AZ] and Ranking Member Lee [D-TX]. In 2021, over 107,000 people in
The House Committee on Homeland Security held its first hearing of the 118th Congress on February 28, 2023, titled, “Every State is a Border State: Examining Secretary Mayorkas’ Border Crisis.” Under the leadership of Chairman Mark Green (R-TN) and Ranking Member Bennie Thompson (D-MS), this hearing discussed contemporary immigration policies at the U.S. Southern Border
The Senate HELP Committee hosted its first hearing of the 118th Congress on February 16th, 2023, titled, “Examining Health Care Workforce Shortages: Where Do We Go From Here?” Under the leadership of Chairman Bernie Sanders (D-VT) and Ranking Member Bill Cassidy (R-LA), this hearing discussed navigating the healthcare workforce crisis with leaders from universities and
