In case you missed it…

This week on Off the Charts, we discussed the House jobs bill and the Kerry-Lieberman climate change proposal, explained how health reform will make health care more affordable, and looked at tax developments affecting state budgets. Paul Van de Water, Senior Fellow, explained why concerns about the deficit should not derail important jobs legislation. Donna Pavetti, Director of the Center’s Welfare Reform and Income Support Division, described the TANF Emergency Fund, a component of last year’s Recovery Act that has helped create thousands of jobs across the country. When a House Republican website misrepresented the program, Donna set the record straight. January Angeles, Policy Analyst, explained how the health reform law’s tax credits for premiums and cost-sharing will help make care more affordable. We also sat down with Chad Stone, the Center’s Chief Economist, to discuss how the Kerry-Lieberman proposal will affect low-income households. At the state level, Jon Shure, Deputy Director of State Fiscal Policy, discussed Arizona voters’ approval of a tax increase to support needed public services.  Liz McNichol, Senior Fellow, warned that Congress shouldn’t undercut state estate taxes as part of a deal on the federal estate tax. In other news, the Center released reports on the stalled estate tax proposal’s flaws and implications for states, the TANF Emergency Fund, budgetary concerns and the jobs bill, making health care affordable, and misunderstandings associated with the report on health reform from the chief actuary at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.