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Narrowly passed the House 217-213
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a report on the AHCA,
saying "enacting the American Health Care Act would reduce federal
deficits by $119 billion over the coming decade and increase the number
of people who are uninsured by 23 million in 2026 relative to current
law."
CBPP highlighted these cuts:
- Medicaid would be cut by $834 Billion. This includes essentially
ending ACA Medicaid expansion and disrupting the federal-state
partnership so that states are faced with cutting eligibility and
benefits.
- Millions would pay more in premiums, get less in tax credits, and face higher deductibles.
- Removes protections for people with preexisting conditions.
Read the full article here.
Actions: Call or email your Senators and ask them not to pass the American Health Care Act. Adequate and affordable health coverage should not be a luxury.
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Financial CHOICE Act of 2017 ( H.R.10)
House vote scheduled for June 7
This bill rolls back or eliminates
protections in Dodd-Frank and even some regulatory powers that pre-date
Dodd-Frank. It diminishes the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s
structure, authority, funding, and independence, limiting its power to
address unfair, deceptive, and abusive acts and practices. Without
rulemaking and enforcement authority, predatory financial practices and
products can go unchecked, putting consumers at risk.
Americans for Financial Reform letter to Congress
Center for Responsible Lending letter to Congress
Consumer Reports article on consumer financial protections and the Financial CHOICE Act of 2017
Actions: Call or email your Representative to let them know your concerns.
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If enacted, this legislation would:
- Raise the federal minimum wage to $9.25 this year and increase it
over the next seven years until it reaches $15 an hour in 2024;
- After 2024, adjust the minimum wage each year to keep pace with growth in the typical worker’s wages;
- Phase out the outdated subminimum wage for tipped workers, which has been frozen at a meager $2.13 since 1991; and,
- Sunset the much criticized ability of employers to pay workers with
disabilities a subminimum wage through certificates issued by DOL.
- Phase out the subminimum wage for workers under the age of 20
More from NELP and EPI on why it's time for a $15 federal minimum wage.
Action: Contact your
Congressmen and women and ask them to support this legislation. If you
need some Hoosier reasons, see the Indiana Institute for Working
Families blog on 17 Reasons to Raise the Minimum Wage.
*If you search for this on Congress.gov, the bill
title is: "To provide for increases in the Federal minimum wage, and
for other purposes"
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This bill would amend the Head Start Act to replace the existing Head Start program with block grants.
"Head Start has been an effective and
strong program delivering an advantage to our nation's children for more
than 50 years. The current federal-to-local funding structure supports
children's long-term success by giving them access to services tailored
locally in order to meet the community’s needs. While we disagree that
Congressman Banks' proposal would improve Head Start, we will work with
him to ensure a bright future for Indiana's, and our nation's, most
vulnerable children and their families." -Yasmina Vinci, Executive
Director, National Head Start Associations
Actions: Call your members of
Congress and ask them to support Head Start by keeping funding as is and
NOT moving towards block granting this essential program that provides
education and wrap-around services for families.
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Don't know who represents you in Congress?
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Trump Administration Budget
The budget released by the President has massive cuts to the social safety net, with three-fifths of cuts coming from programs for low-and moderate-income Americans.
Cuts in programs like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP),
Medicaid, Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), Child Tax
Credit, and Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) put a roadblock in the path
to self-sufficiency.
Follow SNAP Works for Hoosiers on Facebook and Twitter to help the Institute and Feeding Indiana's Hungry defend the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. |
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Regulatory Accountability Act (H.R.5)
Vote in Senate week of June 5
This legislation would force regulatory
agencies to comply with additional bureaucratic and procedural
requirements that would make it hard to take effective action. In the
case of financial oversight, the RAA would paralyze the ability of
regulators to guard consumers against financial exploitation or prevent
another catastrophic financial crisis.
Actions: Write and call your Senators. Americans for Financial Reform has form with prepared comments here. All you need to do is enter your address.
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Was referred to Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions on April 3, with no actions taken since.
Passed out of the House on May 2, 2017 with a 229-197 vote.
This bill proposes that private sector
employees be allowed to select paid time off as compensation for
overtime work (> 40 hours/week) instead of overtime pay. However, it
does not guarantee that employees can use the time when they need
it. The bill also gives the employer 30 days to pay when employees want
to “cash in” their comp time, which is a long time to wait for earned
pay if you make minimum wage or have a low income, and might shift the
allocation of overtime work to employees who will accept comp time in
lieu of overtime pay. See how this bill leaves families either worse off or no better off than they are under current law.
CLASP's letter and testimony to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce
Actions: (1) call or email Senators and ask them not to support this bill (2) raise awareness on social media. See toolkit for talking points, a call script, an email script, and social media suggestions.
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EEOC Pay Gap Reporting Rule
Groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
are putting pressure on the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to
revoke approval of new data collection on the Employer Information Report (EEO-1).
Collecting this data by sex, race, and ethnicity will prompt employers
to examine their own pay gaps and help the EEOC identify and remedy
discrimination. This is an issue the NWLC has been advocating on for
years.
Action: Email OMB Director John Mulvaney with your thoughts at John.M.Mulvaney@omb.eop.gov
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This bill creates a Job Training Federal
Pell Grant to allow students to afford job training programs just as a
traditional Pell Grant allows students to afford higher education.
Action: Ask Senator Young to
cosponsor/support this piece of legislation. Call his office at (202)
224-5623 or email him here and ask that he support this legislation.
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The Institute conducts research and promotes public policies to help Hoosier families achieve and maintain financial stability.
