BEYOND THE NUMBERS
In Case You Missed It...
CBPP’s main focus this week was responding to the release of the historic Build Back Better legislation.
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On Build Back Better, CBPP President Sharon Parrott released a statement emphasizing the historic steps the legislation would take to broaden opportunity, reduce poverty substantially, and narrow glaring racial disparities.
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On Build Back Better’s health provisions, a tweet thread from Judy Solomon explained how they would build on the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including by providing over 2 million uninsured people, most of them people of color, a path to affordable coverage. Jenny Sullivan tweeted how Build Back Better would also make far-reaching improvements to Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
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On the legislation’s federal tax provisions, Chuck Marr tweeted on the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit expansions, including a key anti-poverty provision that would make families who have low or no income on the year permanently eligible for the full Child Tax Credit. Another tweet thread from Marr detailed the legislation’s revenue offsets, including its reductions of unwarranted tax advantages for higher-income people and profitable corporations.
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On housing, Ann Oliva outlined Build Back Better’s historic investments in rental assistance programs, most notably in Housing Choice Vouchers.
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On food assistance, Zoë Neuberger posted a tweet thread on the legislation’s provisions to reduce food hardship for low-income school children.
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On Social Security, Kathleen Romig highlighted the legislation’s provisions to expand eligibility for Supplemental Security Income to more low-income and disabled and elderly residents of U.S. territories.
We also released publications covering other issues related to poverty and inequality, health, food assistance, and family income support.
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On poverty and inequality, in a joint project with RAPID-EC, Carrie Masten, Joan Lombardi, and Philip Fisher outlined how helping families meet basic needs enables parents to promote children’s healthy growth and development.
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On health, Tara Straw noted how ACA marketplaces are poised for further gains as open enrollment begins.
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On food assistance, Hector R. Cordero-Guzman described the characteristics of participants in Puerto Rico’s Nutritional Assistance Program (PAN/NAP) and their connections to the labor market. We also updated our report on how to access SNAP through state government websites.
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On family income support, we released a fact sheet explaining how TANF is a critical program for survivors of domestic violence.
Chart of the Week – Material Hardship Far More Common Among Black and Latinx Families
A variety of news outlets featured CBPP’s work and experts this past week. Here are some of the highlights:
Biden’s Tax Plan for Highest Earners: What to Know About the Latest Proposal
Wall Street Journal
October 28, 2021
Enhanced child tax credit to continue for 1 more year, per Democrats' plan
CNBC
October 28, 2021
Child Tax Credit Won’t Get ‘Work Requirement,’ Democrats Say
HuffPost
October 28, 2021
Black and Hispanic Lawmakers Push to Keep Medicaid Expansion in Democrats’ Plan
Wall Street Journal
October 27, 2021
Housing advocates fight to maintain place in social-spending bill
Marketplace
October 25, 2021
Residents in decaying public housing see futures on the line as Democrats trim spending bill
Washington Post
October 23, 2021
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