CHN’s Human Needs Watch: Tracking Hardship, March 8, 2024
CHN Staff,
March 8, 2024
The State of the Union edition. When President Biden delivered his speech Thursday evening, it was an opportune time for reflection. What has our country gotten right over the past three years? Where have we fallen short? What accomplishments can we celebrate, and what of the unfinished business that remains?
CHN’s Human Needs Watch: Tracking Hardship, February 23, 2024
CHN Staff,
February 23, 2024
The Poison Pills Edition. Congress has set deadlines for completing 12 bills that provide funding for all the federal programs requiring annual appropriations – including nutrition for babies, toddlers, and the aging, rental subsidies, environmental protection, child care, education from pre-k to college, transportation, and a whole lot more. Some of these programs will see their funding run out on March 1; the rest on March 8, if Congress does not finally approve funding or pass another extension. If funding runs out, the programs covered will shut down until Congress finally acts. Despite the fast approach of these deadlines, Congress is now in a recess. The Senate will return on Monday, February 26; the House not until February 28, just two days before the March 1 deadline.
CHN’s Human Needs Watch: Tracking Hardship, February 2, 2024
CHN Staff,
February 2, 2024
The domestic emergency needs edition. You’ve heard some in Congress say we have an emergency along our Southern border. And yes, it is true that Republicans should join Democrats at the table and negotiate a comprehensive immigration bill – one that treats immigrants fairly, whether they are already here, or are seeking to come here due to facing political oppression or various other forms of violence at home. But as members of Congress stare down the FY 2024 appropriations process from both sides of the aisle, it is abundantly clear that we have a number of domestic human needs emergencies we must address.
CHN’s Human Needs Watch: Tracking Hardship, January 13, 2024
CHN Staff,
January 13, 2024
The Child Tax Credit expansion edition. House and Senate negotiators reportedly are close to reaching a deal on expanding the Child Tax Credit (CTC), although final details remain uncertain. There are at least 19 million reasons to expand the CTC – that's the number of kids who don’t receive the full credit (or any credit at all) because their families do not earn enough money. The proposal as reported so far would improve the credit for about 80 percent of those children and lift an estimated 400,000 above the poverty line, as estimated by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
CHN’s Human Needs Watch: Tracking Hardship, December 18, 2023
CHN Staff,
December 18, 2023
The bipartisanship edition. When many Americans view Congress these days, they see partisan gridlock. Yes, gridlock is painfully real on many issues, including the basic issues of how to fund government – and what to fund in government. Already there is talk of possible government shutdown(s) in January and February because more extremist members in the House are pushing back on topline spending levels passed as a part of the debt ceiling package with bipartisan support earlier this year..
