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This week at CBPP, we focused on health, food assistance, state budgets and taxes, poverty and inequality, the economy, family income support, and Social Security.
- On health, we rounded up our recent writings on the risks of a lawsuit to overturn the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Among these, Tara Straw and Aviva Aron-Dine explained that the lawsuit is even more dangerous amidst the pandemic and economic crisis. We posted a fact sheet showing how the lawsuit would cut taxes for the highest-income earners. Sarah Lueck reported how eliminating the ACA’s protections for people with pre-existing conditions could make it impossible for people with health conditions to obtain affordable, adequate health coverage. She also pointed out that ACA “alternatives” lack comprehensive protections for people with pre-existing conditions.
- On food assistance, Stacy Dean, Zoë Neuberger, and Dottie Rosenbaum, along with Crystal FitzSimons and Etienne Melcher Philbin with the Food Research & Action Center, detailed the lessons learned from early implementation of the Pandemic-EBT program and opportunities for improvement in a report issued by both organizations. We also posted a paper on P-EBT prepared by Koné Consulting. We updated our fact sheet explaining how states are using new flexibility in SNAP to respond to COVID-19 challenges.
- On state budgets and taxes, Michael Leachman outlined how states and localities need federal aid to restore jobs and avoid more layoffs. Wesley Tharpe explained how New Jersey’s new budget deal will make the state more equitable. And we updated our fact sheet on how states are grappling with major revenue shortfalls.
- On poverty and inequality, Claire Zippel analyzed new data showing 1 in 3 adults are having trouble paying for household expenses. We also updated our tracker of the COVID-19 recession’s effects on food, housing, and employment hardships and our fact sheet noting that struggling families and the economy need robust, bipartisan COVID relief.
- On the economy, we updated our chart book tracking the post-Great Recession economy and our backgrounder on how many weeks of unemployment compensation are available.
- On family income support, Ali Safawi and Ife Floyd updated their paper showing that TANF benefits are still too low to help families, especially Black families, and a related policy brief.
- On Social Security, Kathy Ruffing noted that retirement accounts are insufficient for most Americans, especially Black, Hispanic, non-college-educated, and low- and middle-income Americans.
Chart of the Week — 1 in 3 Adults Had Trouble Paying for Usual Household Expenses in Last 7 Days
A variety of news outlets featured CBPP’s work and experts this past week. Here are some of the highlights:
The Trump administration is pushing for airline aid in a piecemeal stimulus approach that could leave out federal unemployment benefits for millions of Americans
Business Insider
October 8, 2020
U.S. economy ‘in a pretty concerning state’ as California jobless numbers remain unclear
San Francisco Chronicle
October 8, 2020
Data: 257,000 Mainers Having Trouble Paying Household Expenses
Maine Public Radio
October 8, 2020
Democrats sense momentum for expanding child tax credit
The Hill
October 7, 2020
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