Archives: Voices

Meanwhile…the mosquitoes are breeding.

If you read CHN’s latest Human Needs Report, posted earlier this week, you know that Congress continues to squabble over funding for the Zika virus. They left for the fourth of July recess without approving additional funds.  And, thanks to an in-depth article that appeared Sunday in the Washington Post,…

Resources from Around the Coalition Special Edition: What Works—and What Doesn’t—to Reduce Poverty and Expand Opportunity

As you’ve (hopefully) heard by now, CHN held a June 16th briefing on Capitol Hill entitled “What Works—and What Doesn’t—to Reduce Poverty and Expand Opportunity.” The briefing included experts from a wide range of organizations working to combat poverty and featured remarks from House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi. This week, we…

Paul Ryan’s anti-poverty plan: ‘Better lipstick. Same pig.’

Editor’s note: Earlier this month, we discussed CHN’s June 16 event, What Works – And What Doesn’t – To Reduce Poverty and Expand Opportunity. As part of that event, Melissa Boteach, vice president of the Poverty to Prosperity Program at the Center for American Progress, delivered a presentation on House Speaker…

Human Needs Report: Gun Control, Immigration, TANF and More

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 and gun control, the Supreme Court Decision on immigration, Zika, TANF, the latest House GOP proposals, and more. See below for the full analysis and links to each piece…

House Dems and Gun Control: How You Can Help

As we noted in this blog post last night, House Democrats began a “sit-in” yesterday on the House floor, imploring House leaders to vote to end the loopholes that prevent background checks for gun sales at gun shows or online and to allow gun sales to be denied to those…

Leadership on the House Floor

Congressman John Lewis (D-GA) went to the well of the House of Representatives today and asked colleagues to join him. His impassioned message: “What will finally make Congress do what is right” to reduce gun violence? “We can no longer be patient,” he said. And so he and many other…

Announcing: The CHN Human Needs Heroes of the Year

On Tuesday, July 19, the Coalition on Human Needs will host our Human Needs Hero reception.  This is our only fundraiser of the year and your support enables CHN to provide resources such as the Voices for Human Needs blog you are reading right now. Voices for Human Needs features…

LaJuana Clark’s Story: ‘It’s not how I start. It’s how I finish.’

Editor’s note: Last week, we discussed CHN’s June 16 event, What Works – And What Doesn’t – To Reduce Poverty and Expand Opportunity. As part of that event, we heard the story of LaJuana Clark, who has struggled with homelessness and under-employment. This is LaJuana’s story. We encourage you to…

Congratulations, Rep. Gwen Moore, for Shining a Light on Efforts to Stigmatize the Poor

Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI) wants government to be even-handed. Her own state’s Governor Scott Walker would like to expand mandatory drug testing to participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and to some applicants for unemployment benefits. Wisconsin already requires drug testing for poor parents seeking cash assistance (Temporary…

What works to fight poverty?

Poverty has been in the news a lot lately. Two years ago we marked the 50th anniversary of LBJ’s famous War on Poverty. This year is the 20th anniversary of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, which supplanted Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC). And a GOP…