Current Issues
High Cost of Housing
Mortgage Insurance Cost Reduction
The Biden Administration announced (February 22) that it is reducing the premium rate of mortgage insurance ...
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Food Security / Hunger
End of Expanded SNAP Benefits
Expanded SNAP (i.e., food stamps) benefits provided during the COVID-19 pandemic will end after February, 2023 ...
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Social Security & Other Retirement
Retirement Savings Changes
The 2023 Omnibus Appropriations Act (December 2022) included several retirement savings law changes ...
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Child/Family Welfare
Future of Gas Stoves
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a request for information (RFI) from the public (March 7) on gas stove hazards and potential solutions ...
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Research & Analysis
Raising the federal minimum wage to $15 by 2025 would lift the pay of 32 million workers
Economic Policy Institute
This report summarizes the basis for supporting a raise of the the Federal minimum wage to $15 per hour.
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State Minimum Wage Laws
US Department of Labor
This website provides information on minimum wage laws of every U.S. State.
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SSA Disability and the Ticket to Work Program
General Accountability Office (GAO)
This GAO report (October 2021) analyzes of the effectiveness of the Social Security Administration (SSA) disability Ticket to Work Program. The key finding: program participants were only slightly more likely to leave SSA disability roles than persons not in the program -- i.e., 9.7% versus 8.6%.
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Key Federal Programs
Affordable Connectivity Fund (FCC)
This Year (FY 22)
Budget Proposal (FY 23)
Enacted (FY 23)
% Change
$0
$0
---
---
Supplementals (FY 21-22)
$14,200,000,000
Community Services Employment for Older Americans [DOL]
This Year (FY 22)
Budget Proposal (FY 23)
Enacted (FY 23)
% Change
$405,000,000
$405,000,000
---
---
Supplementals (FY 21-22)
$0
Child Support Enforcement [HHS]
This Year (FY 22)
Budget Proposal (FY 23)
Enacted (FY 23)
% Change
$4,195,000,000
$4,183,000,000
---
---
Supplementals (FY 21-22)
$0
Low Income Home Energy Assistance [HHS]
This Year (FY 22)
Budget Proposal (FY 23)
Enacted (FY 23)
% Change
$3,800,304,000
$3,975,000,000
---
---
Supplementals (FY 21-22)
$4,600,000,000
Child Care and Development Grants [HHS]
This Year (FY 22)
Budget Proposal (FY 23)
Enacted (FY 23)
% Change
$6,165,330,000
$7,562,000,000
---
---
Supplementals (FY 21-22)
$42,515,000,000
Social Services Block Grants [HHS]
This Year (FY 22)
Budget Proposal (FY 23)
Enacted (FY 23)
% Change
$1,627,000,000
$1,627,000,000
---
---
Supplementals (FY 21-22)
$0
Foster Care, Adoption, Guardianship, Independent Living [HHS]
This Year (FY 22)
Budget Proposal (FY 23)
Enacted (FY 23)
% Change
$9,929,000,000
$10,808,000,000
---
---
Supplementals (FY 21-22)
$0
Aging and Disability Services [HHS]
This Year (FY 22)
Budget Proposal (FY 23)
Enacted (FY 23)
% Change
$2,318,000,000
$3,111,000,000
---
---
Supplementals (FY 21-22)
$1,710,000,000
Pell Grants [Education]
This Year (FY 22)
Budget Proposal (FY 23)
Enacted (FY 23)
% Change
$28,713,352,000
$37,264,352,000
---
---
Supplementals (FY 21-22)
$0
Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants [Education]
This Year (FY 22)
Budget Proposal (FY 23)
Enacted (FY 23)
% Change
$880,000,000
$880,000,000
---
---
Supplementals (FY 21-22)
$0
Federal Work Study [Education]
This Year (FY 22)
Budget Proposal (FY 23)
Enacted (FY 23)
% Change
$1,210,000,000
$1,190,000,000
---
---
Supplementals (FY 21-22)
$0
Veterans Benefits Administration [VA]
This Year (FY 22)
Budget Proposal (FY 23)
Enacted (FY 23)
% Change
$176,454,767,000
$165,428,527,000
---
---
Supplementals (FY 21-22)
$0
Rental Assistance [HUD & Agriculture]
This Year (FY 22)
Budget Proposal (FY 23)
Enacted (FY 23)
% Change
$42,759,641,000
$48,687,926,000
---
---
Supplementals (FY 21-22)
$0
Public Housing [HUD]
This Year (FY 22)
Budget Proposal (FY 23)
Enacted (FY 23)
% Change
$8,451,500,000
$8,780,000,000
---
---
Supplementals (FY 21-22)
$0
