The Trump Administration Has the Power and Legal Obligation To Pay SNAP Benefits During the Shutdown ArticleOctober 23, 2025 The Trump Administration Has the Power and Legal Obligation To Pay SNAP Benefits During the Shutdown Making use of emergency funds and transfers would allow SNAP households to receive food assistance in November. Oct 23, 2025 Lily Roberts, Kyle Ross, Bobby Kogan
The Trump Administration’s Plans To Covertly Cut Social Security Disability Benefits ArticleOctober 14, 2025 The Trump Administration’s Plans To Covertly Cut Social Security Disability Benefits An upcoming regulatory proposal would change the rules of Social Security disability programs to make it harder to qualify, particularly harming older adults. Oct 14, 2025 Molly Weston Williamson, Mia Ives-Rublee
Poverty in America Remained Flat in 2024 But Will Likely Rise as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act Goes Into Effect ArticleSeptember 9, 2025 Poverty in America Remained Flat in 2024 But Will Likely Rise as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act Goes Into Effect New census data show how poverty in America looked before the Trump administration’s megabill made historic cuts to Medicaid and SNAP. Sep 9, 2025 Kyle Ross, Kennedy Andara
Trump’s Tariff Policies Are Putting a Strain on Back-to-School Budgets ArticleAugust 19, 2025 Trump’s Tariff Policies Are Putting a Strain on Back-to-School Budgets Parents are expecting to spend up to $900 on back-to-school basics. Aug 19, 2025 Kennedy Andara
10 Egregious Things You May Not Know About the One Big Beautiful Bill Act ArticleJuly 3, 2025 10 Egregious Things You May Not Know About the One Big Beautiful Bill Act Congressional Republicans’ radical budget and tax bill includes several less-known provisions that will increase costs, fuel the Trump administration’s overreach, and waste taxpayer dollars. Jul 3, 2025 Colin Seeberger, Andrea Ducas, Natasha Murphy, 9 More Kierra B. Jones, Andrés Argüello, Lily Roberts, Kyle Ross, Michael Sozan, Silva Mathema, Sara Partridge, Paige Shoemaker DeMio, Corey Husak
The One Big ‘Beautiful’ Bill’s SNAP Cuts Would Strain Food Banks Amid Rising Food Insecurity ArticleJune 26, 2025 The One Big ‘Beautiful’ Bill’s SNAP Cuts Would Strain Food Banks Amid Rising Food Insecurity Food banks do not have the capacity to alleviate the spike in hunger that would be created by cuts to SNAP. Jun 26, 2025 Kyle Ross
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act Would Gut Programs That Support Children ArticleJune 20, 2025 The One Big Beautiful Bill Act Would Gut Programs That Support Children Proposed cuts to vital food, health, and education programs would threaten families’ budgets and slash supports for children. Jun 20, 2025 Kennedy Andara, Kyle Ross
House Republican Proposal Would Kick More People Off SNAP During Recessions While Pushing Additional Costs to States ArticleMay 27, 2025 House Republican Proposal Would Kick More People Off SNAP During Recessions While Pushing Additional Costs to States The House Republican tax and budget bill would make states pay more to administer food assistance while ensuring it serves fewer people in need. May 27, 2025 Kyle Ross, Kennedy Andara, Amina Khalique, 1 More Sophie Cohen
Congressional Republicans Are Planning One of the Largest-Ever Cuts to Basic Supports for Children ArticleMay 10, 2025 Congressional Republicans Are Planning One of the Largest-Ever Cuts to Basic Supports for Children The congressional Republican tax and budget plan would slash programs that provide food, health care, and other supports to America’s children. May 10, 2025 Kennedy Andara, Lily Roberts
DOGE’s Data Digging at the Social Security Administration Puts Millions of Americans at Risk ArticleApril 28, 2025 DOGE’s Data Digging at the Social Security Administration Puts Millions of Americans at Risk Under the Trump administration, Americans’ private Social Security data could be stolen, distorted, or even actively used against them. Apr 28, 2025 Molly Weston Williamson
Shifting SNAP Costs to States Would Make Future Recessions Worse ArticleApril 14, 2025 Shifting SNAP Costs to States Would Make Future Recessions Worse Ending the federal funding guarantee for food assistance would cut benefits and undermine the effectiveness of one of the strongest available tools to combat recessions. Apr 14, 2025 Kyle Ross
Cuts to the Social Security Administration Threaten Millions of Americans’ Retirement and Disability Benefits ArticleMarch 12, 2025 Cuts to the Social Security Administration Threaten Millions of Americans’ Retirement and Disability Benefits As the Social Security Administration cuts thousands of jobs and closes offices, families’ livelihoods are on the line. Mar 12, 2025 Molly Weston Williamson
How the Trump Administration Could Leave Families Hungry: Potential Cuts to SNAP in 2025 and Beyond ArticleFebruary 3, 2025 How the Trump Administration Could Leave Families Hungry: Potential Cuts to SNAP in 2025 and Beyond Previous attempts to cut food assistance provide important clues for how Trump and the new Congress may attack families relying on SNAP. Feb 3, 2025 Kyle Ross
Scott Bessent’s 3 Percent Deficit Target Would Require Massive Cuts to Anti-Poverty Programs and Middle-Class Tax Increases ArticleJanuary 15, 2025 Scott Bessent’s 3 Percent Deficit Target Would Require Massive Cuts to Anti-Poverty Programs and Middle-Class Tax Increases Basic arithmetic suggests that the fiscal goals of President-elect Donald Trump’s treasury pick would slash health care and food security for working- and middle-class families while renewing tax cuts tilted to the wealthy. Jan 15, 2025 Brendan Duke, Bobby Kogan
Child Care Expenses Push an Estimated 134,000 Families Into Poverty Each Year ReportOctober 31, 2024 Child Care Expenses Push an Estimated 134,000 Families Into Poverty Each Year Robust public investments can lift the weight of the child care affordability crisis off the safety net’s shoulders. Oct 31, 2024 Kyle Ross, Kennedy Andara
New Student Debt Relief Policies Fix Broken Promises and Benefit Borrowers Most in Need ArticleAugust 7, 2024 New Student Debt Relief Policies Fix Broken Promises and Benefit Borrowers Most in Need The Biden-Harris administration proposed new regulations that would bring the share of student loan borrowers across the country who receive full or partial relief to about 3 in 4, targeting those who are the most likely to struggle repaying their debt. Aug 7, 2024 Sara Partridge, Madison Weiss, Brendan Duke
Raising the Retirement Age for Social Security Would Cut Benefits by Thousands of Dollars Each Year ArticleJuly 31, 2024 Raising the Retirement Age for Social Security Would Cut Benefits by Thousands of Dollars Each Year Far-right plans, endorsed by Project 2025’s authors, to increase the full retirement age would cut benefits for nearly three-quarters of Americans and threaten low- and moderate-income workers with economic insecurity once they leave the workforce. Jul 31, 2024 Kyle Ross
Reducing Housing Burdens While Creating a Longer-Term Affordable Housing Solution ReportJuly 30, 2024 Reducing Housing Burdens While Creating a Longer-Term Affordable Housing Solution The nation’s housing affordability crisis can be softened in the near term through multiple production efforts to create a sustainable, affordable housing infrastructure for generations to come. Jul 30, 2024 Doug Turner
The Minimum Wage Is a Poverty Wage ArticleJuly 24, 2024 The Minimum Wage Is a Poverty Wage The federal minimum wage has lost the ability to keep workers out of poverty; but this November, voters in multiple states will have the chance to ensure better wages. Jul 24, 2024 Kyle Ross
Updating SSI Would Improve the Economic Resilience of Low-Income Women ReportMarch 7, 2024 Updating SSI Would Improve the Economic Resilience of Low-Income Women New analysis from the Center for American Progress shows that households relying on Supplemental Security Income (SSI) face higher financial risks than non-SSI households with similar incomes. Mar 7, 2024 Beth Almeida, Isabela Salas-Betsch, Christian E. Weller
Poverty Rose in 2022, But Policy Solutions Can Create a More Equitable Economy ArticleSeptember 12, 2023 Poverty Rose in 2022, But Policy Solutions Can Create a More Equitable Economy To continue growing the middle class, Congress and the Biden administration should learn from what worked in their response to the COVID-19 pandemic and associated recession that led to extraordinarily low poverty rates. Sep 12, 2023 Kyle Ross
Raising the Minimum Wage Would Be an Investment in Growing the Middle Class ArticleJuly 20, 2023 Raising the Minimum Wage Would Be an Investment in Growing the Middle Class A $15 minimum wage could benefit nearly 40 million workers and provide some of the lowest-wage workers with an average annual wage boost of about $6,000. Jul 20, 2023 Rose Khattar, Sara Estep, Lily Roberts
Congress Must Include SNAP Employment and Training Improvements in the 2023 Farm Bill ArticleJuly 17, 2023 Congress Must Include SNAP Employment and Training Improvements in the 2023 Farm Bill The E&T program currently disincentivizes the participation of SNAP recipients by cutting their benefits if they find well-paying work. Jul 17, 2023 Kyle Ross
McGovern-Dole Program Alleviates Hunger, Protects Democracy, and Bolsters U.S. Trade ArticleJuly 11, 2023 McGovern-Dole Program Alleviates Hunger, Protects Democracy, and Bolsters U.S. Trade Every McGovern-Dole dollar spent on food is a down payment on thriving democracies and trade. Jul 11, 2023 Sarnata Reynolds
Policymakers Must Understand How Education, Health Care, and Economic Security Shape Early Child Development ArticleJune 29, 2023 Policymakers Must Understand How Education, Health Care, and Economic Security Shape Early Child Development Policymaking that considers the unique developmental needs of young children, as well as their lived experiences and that of their families, can set the foundation for health and well-being throughout life. Jun 29, 2023 Hailey Gibbs, Allie Schneider
Work Requirements Are Expensive for the Government To Administer and Don’t Lead To More Employment ArticleApril 25, 2023 Work Requirements Are Expensive for the Government To Administer and Don’t Lead To More Employment The creation of additional bureaucracy to take basic supports away from Americans would be costly to the federal government and ineffective in promoting employment. Apr 25, 2023 Lily Roberts
How States Can Build Bridges by Smoothing Medicaid-to-Marketplace Coverage Transitions ReportFebruary 14, 2023 How States Can Build Bridges by Smoothing Medicaid-to-Marketplace Coverage Transitions To minimize the disruption of health insurance churn, particularly for low-income people, state policymakers should take action to ease enrollment transitions between Medicaid and marketplace coverage. Feb 14, 2023 Natasha Murphy, Sarah Millender
The Latest Poverty, Income, and Food Insecurity Data Reveal Continuing Racial Disparities ArticleDecember 21, 2022 The Latest Poverty, Income, and Food Insecurity Data Reveal Continuing Racial Disparities Federal policies implemented in 2021 led to notable progress in the fight against poverty, but data show that persistent economic disparities, by both gender and race and ethnicity, will only be closed through continued attention and investments. Dec 21, 2022 Kyle Ross, Justin Dorazio
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Can Support Racial Equity in Homeownership and Environmental Justice Efforts ReportDecember 8, 2022 Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Can Support Racial Equity in Homeownership and Environmental Justice Efforts The government-sponsored enterprises are in a unique position to reduce the racial homeownership gap while simultaneously addressing climate change-related risks and systemic environmental racism. Dec 8, 2022 Michela Zonta
Administrative Burdens: How the Social Safety Net Is Failing Disabled People VideoDecember 5, 2022 Administrative Burdens: How the Social Safety Net Is Failing Disabled People Disabled Americans describe their, often dehumanizing, experiences trying to overcome unnecessary barriers to access vital assistance from the government. Dec 5, 2022 Justin Schweitzer, Emily DiMatteo, Nick Buffie, 4 More Mia Ives-Rublee, Ala Al Sadi, Hai-Lam Phan, Toni Pandolfo
How Dehumanizing Administrative Burdens Harm Disabled People ReportDecember 5, 2022 How Dehumanizing Administrative Burdens Harm Disabled People Unnecessary barriers make accessing basic supports extremely difficult for disabled people across the country. Dec 5, 2022 Justin Schweitzer, Emily DiMatteo, Nick Buffie, 1 More Mia Ives-Rublee
The Resilient Labor Market Can Still Make a Continued Recovery ArticleOctober 31, 2022 The Resilient Labor Market Can Still Make a Continued Recovery The Federal Reserve must be careful not to kill the strong job market. Oct 31, 2022 Rose Khattar, Justin Schweitzer, Kyle Ross
Keeping Americans with disabilities from poverty must remain a priority In the NewsOctober 27, 2022 Keeping Americans with disabilities from poverty must remain a priority Mia Ives-Rublee discusses how the Supplemental Security Income program helped her overcome the structural barriers to employment and economic security that millions of disabled people experience and urges lawmakers to strengthen the program. Oct 27, 2022 The Hill Mia Ives-Rublee
Localized Anti-Displacement Policies ReportSeptember 26, 2022 Localized Anti-Displacement Policies As more investments enter disadvantaged communities, it is crucial that local policies stabilize current residents, ensure they benefit from expanded opportunity, and protect them from displacement. Sep 26, 2022 Justin Dorazio
Data on Poverty in the United States DashboardSeptember 19, 2022 Data on Poverty in the United States The Center for American Progress’ new poverty data project contains U.S. Census Bureau data on the national, state, and congressional district levels, all in one place. Below, users can explore data on poverty and more than a dozen other topics that measure the health of the economy, as well as identify potential solutions to the problems these data reveal. Sep 19, 2022
Expanding the Safety Net During a Recession Prevents Worsening Economic Pain ReportSeptember 19, 2022 Expanding the Safety Net During a Recession Prevents Worsening Economic Pain New U.S. Census Bureau data show how more accessible and larger boosts to safety net programs kept poverty low during the COVID-19 recession, preventing a deeper economic crisis and spurring a faster economy recovery. Sep 19, 2022 Rose Khattar, Justin Schweitzer, Kyle Ross
Tackling Climate Change and Environmental Injustice IssueNovember 1, 2021 Tackling Climate Change and Environmental Injustice We pursue climate action that meets the crisis’s urgency, creates good-quality jobs, benefits disadvantaged communities, and restores U.S. credibility on the global stage.
Strengthening Health IssueNovember 1, 2021 Strengthening Health We work to strengthen public health systems and improve health care coverage, access, and affordability.
Building an Economy for All IssueNovember 1, 2021 Building an Economy for All Economic growth must be built on the foundation of a strong and secure middle class so that all Americans benefit from growth.
Advancing Racial Equity and Justice IssueNovember 1, 2021 Advancing Racial Equity and Justice We apply a racial equity lens in developing and advancing policies that aim to root out entrenched systemic racism to ensure everyone has an opportunity to thrive.