In Case You Missed It… | Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

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POLICY INSIGHT
BEYOND THE NUMBERS

This week at CBPP we focused on poverty and inequality, food assistance, health, the economy, and state budgets and taxes.

On poverty and inequality, Robert Greenstein and Isaac Shapiro warned that recent congressional Republican budget plans and the steep tax cuts many Republican presidential candidates are promoting could lead to sharp cuts in anti-poverty programs. Robert Greenstein illustrated the substantial risk that House Speaker Paul Ryan’s plan to block grant the safety net could increase poverty . Danilo Trisi pointed to new data that show that the safety net was nearly ten times more effective at reducing poverty in 2014 as in 1967. Arloc Sherman detailed how safety net programs reduce poverty and promote long-term opportunity. Elizabeth McNichol explained how a Supreme Court case involving unions could widen income inequality.
On food assistance, Ed Bolen, Dottie Rosenbaum, Stacy Dean, and Brynne Keith-Jennings warned that over 500,000 of the poorest Americans will lose their SNAP benefits in 2016, with 23 states re-imposing time limits on unemployed childless adults. We released a video that shows how these Americans will lose a critical tool to help keep food on the table.
On health, Edwin Park cautioned that the budget reconciliation bill passed this week would raise the number of uninsured Americans by at least 22 million starting in 2018, relative to current law. Shelby Gonzales and Terri Shaw examined the rationale for remote identity proofing for health insurance applicants and recommended improvements to the process.
On the economy, Chad Stone previewed the December jobs report.
On state budgets and taxes, Michael Mitchell shared his experience as a State Policy Fellow.

Chart of the Week: States Newly Implementing SNAP Time Limits

States Newly Implementing SNAP Time Limits in 2016

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

What the GOP Won’t Tell You About Poverty
U.S. News & World Report
January 8, 2015

Don’t Expect Food Stamps If You’re Unemployed And Childless
Huffington Post
January 6, 2016

Marco Rubio wants to convene a constitutional convention. It won’t happen.
Washington Post
December 30, 2015

Applications for the State Policy Fellowship Program are open until January 25, 2016.

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