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, immigration, sentencing reform, and more. See below for the full analysis and links to each section of the report.
Click here for the full PDF Human Needs Report: http://www.chn.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/October-26-2015.pdf

Pressing Up Against the Debt Ceiling
Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew is warning that Congress must avert disaster by acting to raise the debt ceiling by November 3rd when the United States will reach its borrowing limit. Congress has the sole authority to increase the amount the Department of the Treasury can borrow to pay its bills. READ MORE »

Transportation Bill Action this Week; End of Year Deal a Possibility
As October wraps up, there are a number of big legislative items Congress still needs to deal with, including resolving FY16 funding, raising the debt ceiling (see related article in this Human Needs Report for more on this), addressing a package of corporate tax breaks, and the reauthorizing the transportation bill. Lawmakers are expected to READ MORE »

Bill to Defund Sanctuary Cities Falls in the Senate
A bill that advocates said would have increased deportations, increased the number of non-violent offenders behind bars and reduced trust in the police failed to pass a procedural hurdle in the Senate last week (54-45; 60 votes were needed). READ MORE »

Sentencing Reform Bill Moves through Committee
The bipartisan Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2015 passed (15-5) the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, three days after the committee held a hearing on the bill. Several advocacy groups, including CHN, sent letters in support of the legislation to members of the committee prior to the Thursday vote. READ MORE »