Archives: Voices

SOTU: Things You Can Do

Next Tuesday, President Obama will give the annual State of the Union (SOTU) address to Congress and the nation, followed by responses from the Republican Party and the Tea Party. We’ll share our thoughts about the addresses that evening on our Voices for Human Needs blog, and we hope you’ll join…

Fact of the Week: One-Third of State Budgets Comes from Federal Funds

States rely heavily on money from the federal government. While taxes make up the majority of state general revenue, federal money makes up roughly 32 percent of that total. In separate reports, the National Priorities Project and the Tax Foundation both used data from the U.S. Census Bureau to come…

One Young Person’s Story of Homelessness

Dae’Jah was 13 when she first became homeless. She clearly remembers the day her mother told her they had to pack up everything they had and leave their house because they were being evicted. Her mom had lost her business and was no longer able to make the mortgage payments….

Head Smacker: The Rationale Construction Industry at Work

When the Republican-majority Congress starts up in January, they will want to set the stage for tax reductions for corporations and the wealthy.  The Rationale Construction Industry is doing its best to help.  Its work was in evidence in an opinion piece by Stephen Moore of the Heritage Foundation printed…

Asset Poverty in America

Among the many troubling signs that the U.S. economy isn’t really recovering and that inequality is becoming more deeply ingrained is the lack of savings by most Americans and the tremendous disparities in assets between a wealthy few and much of the population. Although the stock market has rebounded spectacularly…

Expand Medicaid Now

Medicaid expansion is critical to achieving the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) goal of providing access to affordable health coverage. The expansion was originally intended to be required of all states participating in the Medicaid program, but the 2012 Supreme Court ruled it optional. This has led 23 states to refuse…

Health for All

Health care is important because….. While the Affordable Care Act is already improving the health and lives of millions of Americans, more than 40 million people in the United States still do not have health insurance. As a result, millions aren’t getting the care they need, jeopardizing both their health and…

Vivek Murthy for Surgeon General

The Senate should not go home without confirming Dr. Vivek Murthy for Surgeon General.  He has been endorsed by over 100 health organizations, including the American Heart Association, the American Public Health Association, and many associations representing physicians, nurses, and public health experts.  Throughout his career, he has founded organizations…