This week at CBPP, we focused on the federal budget, state budgets and taxes, food assistance, and the economy.
On the federal budget, Chye-Ching Huang and Chuck Marr explained that states’ failed attempts to reopen their economies before bringing COVID-19 under control highlight the urgent need to
...As policymakers consider what could be the last COVID-19 relief package this year, they should respond to the alarming rise in the number of children who aren’t getting enough to eat by increasing SNAP (food stamp) benefits, which would minimize COVID-19’s lasting impact on a generation of children.
Policymakers, including Senate Majority Leader...
Contrary to suggestions by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and others, borrowing isn’t a viable substitute for the substantial...
This week at CBPP, we focused on health, state budgets and taxes, federal taxes, the economy, and family income support.
On health, Paul N. Van de Water cited the benefits of a proposed Senate bill that would provide added federal Medicaid...As federal policymakers consider another package to address the deep economic downturn, one of the most effective steps would be to provide substantial federal grants to help states address their huge revenue shortfalls, as the House-passed Heroes Act would do. That would help states and localities avoid cuts in services and investments that would worsen racial inequities — as my colleague...
Federal policymakers should substantially increase the federal share of Medicaid costs to help prevent states from cutting payments to health care providers, which would likely hurt Medicaid patients and could threaten the sustainability of the health care workforce during the public health and economic crises.
Many health care providers that serve Medicaid enrollees are already losing...
Unless federal policymakers provide enough aid to states, localities, territories, and tribal governments to offset all or nearly all of their massive revenue losses due to the pandemic, the longstanding inequities from historic and ongoing racism and discrimination — which have left Black and brown communities most harmed by COVID-19 and the economic crisis — will only worsen from the deep...
Some policymakers are considering whether to make certain business tax credits temporarily refundable — that is, available to firms that don’t have enough taxable income to otherwise qualify — saying that would give cash to struggling small...
The House is expected to vote today on a bill that would lead 4 million people to gain health coverage, the Congressional Budget Office estimates, while making coverage more affordable for at least 13 million more, likely benefiting well over 17 million people in total. The Patient Protection...
