BEYOND THE NUMBERS
In Case You Missed It…
This week at CBPP, we focused on health, the federal budget and taxes, housing, family income support, state budgets and taxes, Social Security, and the economy.
- On health, Aviva Aron-Dine outlined how uncertainty caused by Republicans’ attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) affects the stability of the individual health insurance market. Bob Greenstein explained that the House Republicans’ health bill, if enacted, would represent the greatest assault on low- and moderate-income Americans of any law in modern times. Edwin Park detailed why a provision that House Republican leaders have added to the ACA repeal bill doesn’t address the bill’s fundamental flaws. Sarah Lueck highlighted how the Trump Administration might sabotage ACA insurance markets.
- On the federal budget and taxes, we noted why cutting the tax rate for “pass-through” income would benefit wealthy individuals and encourage large-scale tax avoidance. Brandon DeBot explained that tax refund delays for early filers who claim the Earned Income Tax Credit and low-income part of the Child Tax Credit have hurt working families. Chloe Cho debunked the myth that the estate tax threatens small farms.
- On housing, the Center continued to show why Vouchers Work. Peggy Bailey noted that supportive housing helps create homes in the community for people with histories of homelessness or institutionalization who live with chronic, often disabling, health conditions, and Anna Bailey listed evidence that vouchers are the best tool to end homelessness.
- On family income support, Ife Floyd, LaDonna Pavetti, and Liz Schott summarized evidence from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program that block granting exacerbates, rather than reduces, poverty.
- On state budgets and taxes, Michael Leachman explained< that Kansas can’t afford to keep a costly provision that cut the state’s top income tax rate.
- On Social Security, Kathleen Romig clarified falsehoods by President Trump’s budget director about Social Security Disability Insurance.
- On the economy, Jared Bernstein testified before the Joint Economic Committee about barriers to economic opportunity and related policy solutions. We updated our chart book on the legacy of the Great Recession and our backgrounder on how many weeks of unemployment compensation are available.
Chart of the week: House Bill to Repeal Affordable Care Act Would Drive Up Premiums, Reduce Enrollment in 2018
A variety of news outlets featured CBPP’s work and experts recently. Here are some highlights:
Trump wants to make Medicaid recipients work to get benefits. That's a very bad idea.
Vox
April 7, 2017
Trump Bets the House
New York Times
April 6, 2017
GOP House leaders say health bill tweak shows progress, but large divisions remain
Washington Post
April 6, 2017
Challenges for GOP tax reform
CNBC
April 5, 2017
Do Tax Cuts Really Spur Growth? It Depends on the Details.
New York Times
April 5, 2017
Repeal in doubt, what Trump alone can do on ‘Obamacare’
Associated Press
April 3, 2017
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