CHN today released its latest edition of the Human Needs Report. Read on for the latest on Congress’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, work on FY21 spending bills, a delay in the 2020 Census operations, and more. For a PDF of the report, click here.

In This Edition:

Congress has already passed four bills to respond to the coronavirus pandemic and resulting fallout, but advocates are united in saying more must be done. Advocates believe the next package needs to include a number of important pieces to ensure medical treatment and protection is provided for everyone, support the incomes of struggling people, and shore up state and local institutions. READ MORE »

While most eyes are focused on COVID-19, congressional appropriations staffers continue to work on Fiscal Year 2021 spending bills. Unless Congress can find more flexibility in domestic spending, many programs will likely suffer severe cuts and many services will further erode. READ MORE »

The Census Bureau in April announced it is requesting Congress delay for four months its deadline for reporting census data that will be used in 2021 and beyond to draw political boundaries at the local, state, and congressional level. This could cause problems, including disenfranchising minority voters and diluting their representation. READ MORE »