Bill Commentary

First Focus Campaign for Children is pleased that the Farm Bill conferees have produced a bipartisan farm bill agreement that rejects harmful cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and protects the ability of low-income families with children to put food on the table. The following statement comes from said First Focus Campaign for Children president, Bruce Lesley:“SNAP is the first line of defense against food insecurity for 19 million children. This bill is a clear repudiation of the House bill, which would have made it harder for hundreds of thousands of families with children to access SNAP. We...

The Senate to Vote on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act The Senate is poised to vote on its version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act this week. Though the Senate bill varies significantly and its from its counterpart in the House (which passed in spite of fifteen harmful provisions to kids and families on November 16), the measure will still dramatically overhaul the existing tax code. The Senate bill’s writers claim that it will provide meaningful tax relief to millions of families. However, initial analysis...

Recently, the House of Representatives passed its tax bill to dramatically overhaul the existing tax code with a 227 to 205 vote. The bill’s supporters claim that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1) will provide meaningful tax relief to millions of families. However, initial analysis of suggests that for families with children—especially those who are low-income—this is not the case. In fact, First Focus Campaign for Children has identified fifteen provisions that harm kids and families.Fifteen pieces of the Tax Bill that Hurt Children: Increase to the Deficit will...

EDITOR’S NOTE: This was originally published on Medium. In the midst of the chaos that is Washington, D.C., Congress is gambling with the health and well-being of nearly 9 million children, as funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) is set to expire on September 30th. It is not like congressional leadership didn’t know this was coming. Two years ago, over 1,500 groups urged Congress to extend CHIP for through 2019, but in its infinite wisdom, House leadership chose to only extend CHIP for two years and set...

The Welfare Reform and Upward Mobility Act, introduced in June by House Freedom Caucus Chair Rep. Mark Meadows, Freedom Caucus member Rep. Jim Jordan, and Senators Ted Cruz and Mike Lee, would impose harsh new requirements on recipients of on anti-poverty programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) program and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, as well as reduce funding for federal housing assistance through transforming it into a block grant.These new requirements would be impossible for many program participants to meet, resulting in millions of households with...

Learning to drive is a rite of passage to young adulthood for millions of youth. It brings new levels of independence and opportunities, enabling young people to take themselves to school, work, and extra-curricular activities. Studies have shown that kids with access to a car do better in school, get better jobs, have more college options, and have more successful careers.Teens in foster care often face significant barriers to obtaining a driver’s license. Some of these barriers include difficulty securing the parental or guardian permission needed to enroll in driver’s education or to secure an...

Raising five children, Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) undoubtedly knows a thing or two about the health care needs of children. In a Today storyrelated to Father’s Day last year that highlighted the decision of the Congressman and his wife to adopt two children after having three of their own, he shared a picture of himself at the hospital with his son, who had suffered a broken wrist. It is clearly the picture of a caring, loving father who would never intentionally put the health of...