PathWays PA Policy Blog

Last week, President Trump released his plans for the 2019 federal budget. It includes cuts to SNAP, Medicaid, and energy assistance along with the elimination of funding for public broadcasting and loan forgiveness for students who enter public service. Here's a more in-depth look at some items: Healthcare: The budget cuts Medicaid and subsidies for the health insurance marketplace by $763 billion over 10 years. It also embraces the Graham-Cassidy proposal to eliminate the ACA and replace it with a block grant to states. The block grants would be less than what states receive currently to assist families with healthcare, leaving them with additional, unfunded costs. Housing: Under this budget, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) would see a cut of $8.8 billion . Rental assistance programs are among those that would see cuts, while LIHEAP would be completely eliminated . Nutrition: Perhaps the most talked about cuts so far are those made to nutrition progra...

You can't afford to miss Womenomics 2018! Join us as we bring together business, government, and civic representatives to promote the needs of women. For more information, please visit the WOMENomics website at  https://womenomics.weebly.com .

NPR and other news organizations are reporting a bipartisan budget agreement has been made between Senator Mitch McConnell and Senator Chuck Schumer. If passed, the deal would suspend planned cuts to both military and domestic spending. This bill would also increase the debt ceiling, which needs to happen in the next month. Not included in the bill, however, is a decision on DACA recipients . Without policy aiding the Dreamers, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is opposing the bill . Meanwhile, at least one House Republican is also in opposition. Action Steps: Call your legislators to talk about the budget at 202-224-3121. Here's a sample script: "My name is ___, and I live in ___'s district. I'm calling to show my support/disapproval of the proposed 2 year budget." Then share one or two sentences about the programs you care about and if you agree with the proposed funding.

Click here to enlarge This afternoon, Governor Wolf announced the 2018-2019 budget, along with some of his policy initiatives for the year. In his budget speech , he proposed an additional $125 million for K-12 education and a new program, called Community Health Choices, designed to help seniors receive care in their communities instead of in facilities. The budget summary  also calls for an increase in the minimum wage, modernization of the Equal Pay law, and the passage of a statewide paid sick days bill. The chart pictured here shows selected line items from the Governor's budget. Basic Education, Pre-K Counts, and the Children's Health Insurance Program are among the programs set to get an increase, while Adult and Family Literacy and County Assistance Offices see a slight decrease in funding. A number of programs, including Mobile Science and Math Education, Job Training and Special Education, Regional Cancer Institutes, ALS Support Services, and the New Choices/Ne...

From our friends at the Bucks County Women's Advocacy Coalition and Americans for Financial Reform  The House of Representatives is poised to open a huge loophole in state interest rate caps and the right of state voters to enact rate caps, effectively giving the green light to payday lenders to charge debt trap interest rates to low-income consumers without having to abide by state laws. HR 3299 poses a grave threat to state interest rate caps and could open the floodgates for payday and other predatory lenders nationwide. This bill wipes away the strongest available tools against predatory lending, leaving consumers vulnerable to interest rates in excess of 390%. Your voice, along with others from across the country, is critical to push back against the lobbying by out-of-state banks, online lenders, debt collectors, payday lenders and others who are seeking your Congressmember’s permission to disregard state-level interest rate limits. This is significant because state ...

On Monday, Congress came to a bipartisan agreement to end the three day federal shutdown . The legislation included six years of funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). CHIP had been operating without funding since the end of September, and, without this budget agreement, states were at risk of running out of CHIP funding by March. The agreement came at a price, though. No action was taken on the Dreamers (although there was a promise made to address the issue), and, in three weeks, we may be back here again. The budget resolution passed only funds the budget through February 8, giving Congress a short window to make decisions on a long-term plan. Action Steps Ask Congress to pass a budget that invests in everyone.  Call Congress at (202) 224-3121. Here's a sample script: "My name is ___, and I live in ___'s district. I am calling today to share my feelings on the federal budget. OUr communities are relying on programs like SNAP, rental...

Late last year, the Department of Labor announced a proposed rule change that would allow employers in tipped industries (primarily employers in the restaurant and food service industry) to collect and keep all tips earned by employees above the minimum wage. If employers chose to keep these tips, they could do so without notifying restaurant patrons. Including tips , waiters and bartenders only earn about $10.11 per hour, with Black workers earning $9.62/hour and Latino workers earning $9.93. According to a report from ROC and NELP, workers in the industry have median earnings between $19,900 and $20,800 per year - yet this rule could transfer $5.8 billion from workers to employers. Action Step Write a public comment before February 5 to share your thoughts on this proposal. EPI and a number of participating organizations put together an easy form to send comments. You can use their language or customize your own.  You can also submit comments directly in electronic form...