BEYOND THE NUMBERS
In Case You Missed It…
This week at CBPP, we focused on federal taxes, state budgets and taxes, food assistance, health, housing, and poverty and inequality.
- On federal taxes, we rounded up our tax season analyses. Roxy Caines listed four ways free tax preparation volunteers make a difference. Emily Horton pointed out that an underfunded Internal Revenue Service continues to audit less. We updated our backgrounders on marginal and average tax rates, the Child Tax Credit, and the Earned Income Tax Credit.
- On state budgets and taxes, Elizabeth McNichol called for an infusion of funding in school infrastructure. We published a backgrounder on federal aid to state and local governments.
- On food assistance, Ed Bolen, Lexin Cai, Brynne Keith-Jennings, Dorothy Rosenbaum, Elizabeth Wolkomir, and Catlin Nchako laid out how the House Agriculture Committee’s farm bill would increase food insecurity and hardship. Keith-Jennings explained how the bill’s work proposal for participants in SNAP (formerly food stamps) would harm many workers. LaDonna Pavetti warned that the funding included in the farm bill for work programs won’t buy much employment assistance.
- On health, Hannah Katch and Judith Solomon described how repealing the Medicaid exclusion for institutional care risks worsening services for people with substance use disorders. Jesse Cross-Call showed how a proposed bill in Michigan to institute work requirements in Medicaid would lead to large coverage losses and harm low-income workers. Katch highlighted a promising Montana program that offers services to help Medicaid enrollees succeed in the workforce. We explained how Medicaid work requirements will harm people who are experiencing homelessness.
- On housing, Barbara Sard testified before the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance on the Housing Choice Voucher program. We excerpted Sard’s post for Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies on housing policies that will expand access to high-opportunity communities.
- On poverty and inequality, Tazra Mitchell clarified inappropriate claims about the impact of work requirements in Kansas and Maine.
Chart of the Week – Conaway Farm Bill Could Cause Many Who Work Substantial Hours to Lose SNAP Benefits
A variety of news outlets featured CBPP’s work and experts recently. Here are some highlights:
The IRS Website Went Down on Tax Day
Teen Vogue
April 18, 2018
Americans hate the idea that others are cheating on their taxes more than they hate paying taxes
NBC News
April 17, 2018
Perpetuating the Cycle of Poverty
New Republic
April 17, 2018
Corporate Taxes
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
April 15, 2018
Do work requirements for welfare recipients work?
Marketplace
April 13, 2018
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