Children’s Monitor

Agency Leaders Respond About Impact of Budget Cuts

In January, House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro sent letters to Federal agency heads asking for information about how the agencies would be impacted by the House Republicans’ proposal to cap spending at the FY 2022 funding levels. “The American people and Members of Congress deserve to know the real impact this policy would

Senate Appropriations Hearing with HHS Secretary Becerra

On March 22, 2023, the Senate Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee held a hearing with the Honorable Xavier Becerra, Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), as the witness. Both Democrats and Republicans expressed their concerns over the President’s FY2024 budget requests for the Department of HHS.

Student Loan Debt Crisis: House Committee Hearing

On Thursday March 23, 2023, The House Committee on Education and the Workforce held a hearing titled, Breaking the System: Examining the Implications of Biden's Student Loan Policies for Students and Taxpayers. It was the first hearing led by the Subcommittee of Workforce and Higher Education in this Congress, signaling that the student loan debt

Medicaid and CHIP Renewals Restarting

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

New Program Instruction on Funding for Kinship Navigator Programs

The Children’s Bureau (CB) has released Program Instruction ACYF-CB-PI-23-07 (Fiscal Year 2023 Title IV-B, Subpart 2 Funding Available to Develop and Enhance or to Evaluate Kinship Navigator Programs) which provides guidance to state, territorial and tribal title IV-E agencies on the actions required to apply for title IV-B, subpart 2 funding to support the development,

Maternal Mortality Rose Significantly in 2021, CDC Says

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

The Power of the Purse: Federal Budget Webinar

Voices for Healthy Kids hosted a webinar on Wednesday, March 22nd, titled “The Power of the Purse: Understanding the Federal Budget Process and How it Shapes Policy Confirmation.” The speaker was Emily J. Holubowich, the National Vice President of Federal Advocacy at the American Heart Association, and she explained what the “Power of the Purse”

President’s Budget Summary and Chart

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

Senate Budget Hearing with OMB Director

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]

Senate Finance Committee Hearing: Biden’s 2024 Budget Proposal

On March 16, 2023, the Senate Finance Committee hosted a full hearing with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen regarding Biden’s Fiscal Year 2024 Budget. The hearing additionally took place days after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, which inflicted federal regulators to close the banks to preserve public confidence in the U.S. banking

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