Head Smacker: Congress Continues to Fund Military Equipment the Pentagon Doesn’t Want
Lecia Imbery,
July 17, 2014
Despite Congress’ continued insistence that critical assistance like benefits for the long-term unemployed be paid for by cutting something else, they continue to push money towards the Pentagon – whether or not the Pentagon wants the money in the first place. The Friends Committee on National Legislation pulled together some...
Celebrating Our 2014 Human Needs Hero
Natalie Kramer,
July 16, 2014
Today, the need for organized advocacy around the rights of low-income and vulnerable populations is more important than ever. There’s so much work to be done, and we all need a hero to motivate us to keep striving for justice. This year, CHN will be honoring Jim Weill as our Human...
Fact of the Week: Since FY 2010, at Least 119 Important Human Needs Programs Have Been Cut, 99 by more than 10%
Lecia Imbery,
July 14, 2014
New data released by CHN shows that, out of a group of 131 programs of special importance to low-income and vulnerable people, 119 saw decreases from FY 2010 through FY 2014 after adjusting for inflation. Ninety-nine programs were cut well over 10 percent. Only 12 programs increased during this same...
A New Tool in the Fight to Raise the Minimum Wage
Natalie Kramer,
July 14, 2014
In coordination with the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), Oxfam America has released an indispensable tool for minimum wage and anti-poverty advocates’ tool box: an interactive map with accompanying scorecards detailing the impact a federal minimum wage increase would have on the workers in each Congressional district. But it is not...
Head Smacker: House Committee Takes Revenue That Could Have Helped the Jobless to Fund Highway Bill
Deborah Weinstein,
July 11, 2014
On Witness Wednesday, advocates for the long-term jobless sweated outside the Capitol and told some of the painful stories out of the 3.3 million so far denied unemployment benefits because Congress let the program expire. The following day, the House Ways and Means Committee approved a bill to replenish the Highway...
