This week at CBPP, we focused on health, federal taxes, the federal budget, food assistance, state budgets and taxes, housing, poverty and inequality, and the economy.

• On health, Jesse Cross-Call and Matt Broaddus reported that states that have expanded Medicaid are better positioned to address COVID-19 and the recession. Judith Solomon explained why continuous coverage protections for Medicaid in the Families First Act are so important. Paul N. Van de Water noted that increasing the federal share of Medicaid costs provides effective economic stimulus. We also updated our report on how states are leveraging Medicaid to respond to COVID-19.

• On federal taxes, Chuck Marr outlined three reasons to expand the Earned Income Tax Credit for childless adults amid COVID-19. Kris Cox noted that making the Child Tax Credit fully available would benefit 6 million women of color. Samantha Jacoby pointed out how this year’s Tax Day highlights the need to rebuild the IRS.

• On the federal budget, Chye-Ching Huang and Chuck Marr summarized their recent paper on how failed reopenings highlight the urgent need to build on federal fiscal support for households and states.

• On food assistance, Brynne Keith-Jennings outlined five reasons why households need a boost in SNAP benefits. We also updated our fact sheet on how states are using their new flexibility in SNAP to respond to COVID-19 challenges.

• On state budgets and taxes, we released a policy brief on how state outreach can get stimulus payments to as many eligible residents as possible. Wesley Tharpe highlighted six charts on state taxes and spending ahead of Tax Day.

• On housing, CBPP and other members of the Mobility Works collaborative praised announcement of the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s new funding to help families use housing vouchers in high-opportunity areas.

• On poverty and inequality, Matt Saenz and Arloc Sherman updated their research note finding that the number of people in families with below-poverty earnings has soared, especially among Black and Latino individuals.

• On the economy, we updated our backgrounder on how many weeks of unemployment compensation are available.

Chart of the Week — Over 650,000 Uninsured Essential Workers Could Gain Medicaid Coverage if Holdout States Adopted Expansion

A variety of news outlets featured CBPP’s work and experts this past week. Here are some of the highlights:

What Congress can do to give students a fighting chance
CNN
July 17, 2020

Opioid overdoses have skyrocketed amid the coronavirus, but states are nevertheless slashing addiction treatment program budgets 
Stat News
July 16, 2020

Here’s why economists say arguments against extending unemployment benefits don’t hold up
CNBC
July 15, 2020

Letting extra unemployment pay expire may be the GOP’s next self-inflicted wound
Boston Globe
July 15, 2020

Taxes Won’t Save States And Cities. They Need Federal Budget Aid, Plus Stimulus Checks
Forbes
July 14, 2020

New Republican push for paid family leave in coronavirus stimulus package
McClatchy DC
July 13, 2020

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