CHN just released our latest edition of the Human Needs Report, our regular newsletter on national policy issues affecting low-income and vulnerable populations. This edition includes articles on appropriations action in Congress, the Supreme Court case against President Obama’s immigration executive actions, legislation regulating paid tax preparers, funding for emergencies and the new House Child Nutrition Reauthorization bill. See below for the full analysis and links to each piece in the report.
Click here for the full PDF Human Needs Report: http://www.chn.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/April-25-2016.pdf (PDF)

Appropriations Bills Move through Committees; Senate Bills Contain Money for Opioid Abuse, Lead Paint Hazards while House Bills Don’t
The lack of a Congressional budget resolution hasn’t stopped the Senate from moving forward with work on FY17 spending bills. So far, the Senate Appropriations Committee has cleared four of the 12 spending bills needed to fund the government: the Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS) appropriations bills, the Energy-Water appropriations bill, the Military Construction-Veterans Affairs bill, and the Transportation-Housing and Urban Development bill. READ MORE »

Supreme Court Hears Case on President’s Immigration Executive Actions
Thousands of advocates gathered outside the Supreme Court building last Monday, April 18, as the justices heard oral arguments for and against President Obama’s November 2014 executive actions expanding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (expanded DACA) guidelines and creating the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) program. A decision from the Court is expected by the end of June. READ MORE »

Legislation to Ensure Competence of Paid Tax Preparers Rejected by Senate Finance Committee
Despite support from low-income advocates, the Senate Finance Committee last week rejected legislation to require paid tax return preparers to meet a basic standard of competence. The provision failed (12-14) on party lines. READ MORE »

Senate Makes Headway on Emergency Funding for Zika; New Flint Funding Bill Introduced
In addition to the requests for emergency funding for lead poisoning and opioid abuse that were attached to spending bills in the Senate (see related appropriations article in this edition for more information), Senators took additional measures to move emergency funding to fight the Zika virus and lead contamination. READ MORE »

Advocates Oppose House Child Nutrition Reauthorization Bill
Anti-hunger advocates reacted strongly in opposition to a House Child Nutrition Reauthorization bill introduced last Wednesday, April 20. A statement from the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) said the bill would roll back years of progress, leaving countless children without access to nutritious meals. READ MORE »

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