Monthly Archives: April 2013
- CHN: High Hurdles on Path to Citizenship
On April 16, the bi-partisan Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013, S. 744, was introduced in the Senate. This comprehensive overhaul of our nation’s immigration system contains a framework that includes a path to citizenship for many of the 11 million undocumented: 10 years in a newly created Registered Provisional Immigrant (RPI) status leading to Lawful Permanent Residence (LPR) status (a ‘green card’) and then at least 3 more years to citizenship. Read More »
Posted in Immigration, Poverty and Income Comments Off - CHN: Fear of Flying; Congress Fixes Waits in Airports but Lets the Poor Wait One More Year for Housing Vouchers
People don’t like to wait on long lines at airports. With news cameras panning the lines and Twitter campaigns launched, Congress hurriedly passed legislation to move funds around within the Federal Aviation Administration to end furloughs of air traffic controllers. The Senate passed the Reducing Flight Delays Act of 2013 (S. 853) with no objection and no recorded vote on Thursday, April 25, and decamped to airports for a week-long recess. Read More »
Posted in Budget and Appropriations, Economy, Housing and Homelessness, Poverty and Income Comments Off - CHN: The President’s FY 2014 Budget: Important Initiatives Face Uphill Battle
President Obama released his FY 2014 budget on April 10 in a Rose Garden speech whose audience included many who strongly support one of the budget’s key initiatives: Preschool for All four-year olds and other investments in the development of the youngest children. The historic preschool initiative would be paid for by an increase in the tobacco tax. But the chasm of difference between the extreme cuts in the House budget and the Senate’s and President’s combination of revenues and cuts underscore the difficulty of agreeing upon worthy new initiatives. Read More »
- CHN: Immigration Bill Imminent in the Senate
The work of drafting a comprehensive immigration reform bill is completed in the Senate. The key drafters, the so-called “Gang of Eight” (Republicans Marco Rubio (FL), John McCain, Jeff Flake (AZ), and Lindsey Graham (SC) and Democrats Charles Schumer (NY), Robert Menendez (NJ), Michael Bennet (CO), and Richard Durbin (IL)) are poised to introduce legislation. Read More »
Posted in Immigration, Poverty and Income Comments Off - CHN: Expanded Mental Health Services May be Included in Gun Legislation
When President Obama spoke about the grieving families seeking legislation to curb gun violence in his State of the Union address, his message was: “they deserve a simple vote.” On April 11, the Senate took the first step with a bipartisan 68-31 vote to cut off debate after up to 30 hours. Read More »
Posted in Health, Social Services Comments Off
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