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INCOME & WORK SUPPORTS UPDATE
FEBRUARY 2021
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Fight Poverty, Hunger, and Health Care Needs by Removing Barriers to Program Access
Harmful policies that explicitly limit program eligibility for immigrant families or deter people from applying to benefits programs undermine the health of our communities and economy. This public-facing version of the IWS team’s transition paper outlines actions the Biden Administration must immediately take to strengthen our social safety net.
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Biden’s Child Tax Credit Proposal Would Help Lowest Income Families
Among the provisions in President Biden’s American Rescue Plan to provide COVID-19 relief is an expanded version of the Child Tax Credit (CTC). This expansion would correct a long-standing inequity in the CTC: the program’s partial refundability, which disadvantages families with the lowest incomes.
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New Congress Must Act Swiftly to Subsidize Rental Assistance Programs and Prevent Evictions
The COVID-19 legislation passed in December extends the eviction moratorium and allocates $25 billion for rental assistance. However, this limited funding still forces states and localities to make difficult decisions about who “deserves” relief most and may increase administrative burden in the process.
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IWS Updates
Days after a white supremacist mob stormed the U.S. Capitol, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were sworn into office--with the National Guard as their primary audience. We are equally concerned for the well-being of our democracy as we are excited to work with an administration that has promised to pursue a robust anti-poverty agenda.

On his first day in office, President Biden took action to advance racial equity and reverse some of the Trump Administration’s attacks on immigrant families. The executive orders he issued on Friday, January 22 signaled his commitment to improving access to vital public benefits, and those he signed on Thursday, January 28 directed agencies to open enrollment under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and re-examine Medicaid waivers that may “reduce coverage or undermine the programs, including work requirements." The administration also committed to reviewing the Trump public charge regulations that have made millions of immigrant families afraid to access health care and economic supports. Other executive orders conveyed the administration’s support for climate justice and fair housing initiatives.

We are also working with the new Congress to advance our legislative priorities. President Biden’s American Rescue Plan includes many provisions integral to the immediate health and safety of people with low incomes. We will be fighting to ensure that the following relief package--the “recovery” plan--includes investments at the level needed to both respond to the scale of harm caused by the pandemic and address the inequities that existed long before the pandemic. At the same time, CLASP is collaborating with partners to support and improve President Biden’s immigration reform proposal.


In the News
JANUARY 15, 2021 | WASHINGTON MONTHLY
Joe the Centrist? Biden’s Family Assistance Plan is Really Bold. [[link removed]]

JANUARY 20, 2021 | COMMON DREAMS
American Workers Need Paid Sick Leave Right This Minute [[link removed]]


Key Blog Posts and Publications
JANUARY 25, 2021 | SUZANNE WIKLE
Through Block Grant, Trump Administration Attacks Medicaid One Last Time [[link removed]]

JANUARY 28, 2021 | KATHERINE GALLAGHER ROBBINS 
Why Child Care Needs Direct Spending, Not Just Tax Credits, During COVID and Beyond [[link removed]]

JANUARY 13, 2021 | ALYCIA HARDY
Half-Truths, the Capitol Insurrection, and My Black Son [[link removed]]

JANUARY 22, 2021 | OLIVIA GOLDEN
Biden-Harris Administration Must Address Needs of Children, Young People [[link removed]]

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What We're Reading
CENTER ON BUDGET AND POLICY PRIORITIES
Economic Security Programs Reduce Overall Poverty, Racial and Ethnic Inequities [[link removed]]

URBAN INSTITUTE
Immigrant Families Continued Avoiding the Safety Net during the COVID-19 Crisis [[link removed]]

ASPEN INSTITUTE AND SPRINGBOARD TO OPPORTUNITIES
Centering the Margins: A Framework and Practices for Person-Centered Financial Security Policy [[link removed]]

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