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POLICY INSIGHT
BEYOND THE NUMBERS

In Case You Missed It…

| By CBPP

This week at CBPP, we focused on state budgets and taxes, the federal budget and taxes, the safety net, health care, Social Security, and the economy.                               

  • On state budgets and taxes, Michael Leachman, Kathleen Masterson, and Marlana Wallace documented the decline in public investment in K-12 schools in a number of states over the last decade.  Leachman summarized our new report and highlighted a study showing that money matters for K-12 education.
  • On the federal budget and taxes, Emily Horton noted that the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit lifted 9.8 million people out of poverty last year and made 22 million others less poor.  We also updated our Policy Basics on the EITC.
  • On the safety net, Brynne Keith-Jennings cited new data showing that SNAP (formerly food stamp) spending fell for the third straight year in fiscal year 2016.  We also updated our reports showing that Temporary Assistance for Needy Families cash benefits continue to erode and that rental assistance to families with children has fallen to its lowest point in a decade.
  • On health care, Jesse Cross-Call explained that Medicaid spending and enrollment growth is expected to slow again next year.  Hannah Katch showed why Medicaid is an essential partner for supportive housing, which combines affordable housing with intensive, coordinated services to help people with significant health care needs.
  • On Social Security, Kathleen Romig listed several revenue options to help address the program’s long-term shortfall.
  • On the economy, we updated our Policy Basics on how many weeks of unemployment compensation are available.

Chart of the Week: Total K-12 Funding Below 2008 Levels in Most States

A variety of news outlets featured CBPP’s work and experts recently.  Here are some highlights:


These states are spending less on education now than before the Great Recession
Washington Post
October 20, 2016


Giving Every Child a Monthly Check for an Even Start
New York Times
October 18, 2016


Social Security Taxes to Rise for Higher-Income Americans
Wall Street Journal
October 18, 2016


Stop Defaming SNAP, Start Helping Deserving Families
Huffington Post
October 17, 2016

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