Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

This Women’s History Month, we’re celebrating the accomplishments, contributions, and sacrifices that women throughout generations have made to shape an equitable and sustainable future where all people can thrive and create a fulfilling life for themselves and their communities.

Democrat’s plan would eliminate federal income taxes for half of U.S. workers Sen. Chris Van Hollen’s tax relief plan could benefit tens of millions of middle-class workers, with a focus on those making at or below a living wage.

The latest Democratic affordability proposal–this one from Senator Van Hollen– was previewed in the Washington Post by @jeffstein.bsky.social this morning. While we don’t have all the details, it seems like a case of good intentions but some problematic results www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

🎯And SNAP doesn't just support low-income families struggling to afford groceries — it supports the entire food supply chain from the grocery store back to the farm.

Last night, the House Agriculture Committee advanced an unacceptable farm bill that turns its back on the millions of low-income families struggling to afford groceries in the wake of the Republican megabill’s unprecedented SNAP cuts. This bill should be rejected.

House Agriculture Committee Advances Unacceptable Farm Bill, Leaving Low-Income Families Behind Late last night, the House Agriculture Committee voted to advance a deeply flawed farm bill that turns its back on the millions of low-income families struggling to afford groceries in the wake of...

"A farm bill does not support our nation’s food security if it ignores the needs of the millions of people across the U.S. who cannot consistently afford to put food on the table." - @tyjonescox.bsky.social on last night's vote to advance a deeply flawed farm bill: www.cbpp.org/press/statem...

Federal Government’s Attacks on Medicaid Are a Pretext to Weaken the Program and Punish Particular States Since the beginning of the year, the Trump Administration has been threatening funding for various programs that help people meet their basic needs, using the pretext of fighting fraud, waste, and...

The Trump Administration’s actions to take Medicaid funding away from states is a strategy to weaponize claims of fraud and ultimately take health care from people who can least afford it — putting their ability to meet their basic needs at risk: www.cbpp.org/blog/federal...

HUD Publishes Proposed Rule that Would Take Away Rental Assistance, Create New Barriers February 20, 2026: The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) published a proposed rule that would force 20,000 families to choose between losing the assistance that helps them pay rent or ...

HUD proposed a rule in Feb. that would take away rental asst. from citizens & eligible immigrants in “mixed-status” families if a member of their household is ineligible b/c of their immigration status. Of the nearly 80K ppl in mixed-status families, about 37K are kids. www.cbpp.org/research/fed...

Sound State Revenue Choices Essential to Counteract Harmful Policies and Build Forward Last summer’s harmful Republican megabill paired enormous tax breaks for wealthy households and corporations with historically deep cuts that will take away people’s vital health care and food assista...

New report: States & localities in '26 are facing a one-two punch—fallout from harmful federal actions on one hand & regressive state policies on the other. The path forward? Protecting & raising revenues to mitigate harm & build forward. Here’s how: www.cbpp.org/research/sta...

What to know about the new changes to SNAP benefits NPR's A Martinez speaks with Ty Jones Cox of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities about new work requirements for recipients of SNAP benefits, also known as food stamps.

CBPP's @tyjonescox.bsky.social on NPR's Morning Edition explains how new #SNAP work requirements are a major hit to working families and their kids.

"This requirement doesn't increase employment or earnings. It just cuts people off."

Listen here: www.npr.org/2026/03/02/n...

Social Security Lifts More People Above the Poverty Line Than Any Other Program Social Security benefits play a vital role in reducing poverty in every state, and they lift more people above the poverty line than any other program in the United States. Without Social Security, 23...

On Social Security, Kathleen Romig updated her paper highlighting the vital role Social Security benefits play in reducing poverty across every state: www.cbpp.org/research/soc...

SNAP’s “Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility” Supports Working Families and Those Saving for the Future About 6 million people will lose SNAP food assistance if BBCE is eliminated — more than 4 million of them, including 1.8 million children, because their household income exceeds SNAP’s restrictive fed...

On food assistance, we updated a paper explaining the benefits of SNAP’s broad-based categorical eligibility policy, which allows states to broaden SNAP eligibility and better support millions of people, as the Trump Administration seeks to eliminate it: www.cbpp.org/research/foo...

Medicaid Plays an Important Role in Providing Health Coverage to Key Populations Medicaid ensures that people of all ages have access to the health care they need, covering 2 in 5 children, 1 in 6 non-elderly adults, and 1 in 7 seniors nationwide.

And Elizabeth Zhang underscored the importance of Medicaid in providing health coverage to key populations, including children, seniors, and people with disabilities: www.cbpp.org/research/hea...

State Choices in Medical Frailty Work Requirement Exemption Can Keep Eligible People Covered Without carefully crafted policies and systems, many people with serious health conditions could lose coverage despite being eligible. Fortunately, there are concrete steps states can take that can re...

Also on health, Farah Erzouki explained how states can protect Medicaid access for people with the greatest health needs by making proactive choices in how they implement medical frailty work requirement exemptions: www.cbpp.org/blog/state-c...

Health Savings Accounts Can Be a Bad Deal for Low-Income Marketplace Enrollees In the wake of their actions that have worsened health care affordability, President Trump and Republicans in Congress have pushed to expand health savings accounts (HSAs). But this doubles down on an...

On health, Nicole Rapfogel pointed out that health savings accounts (HSAs) are not a substitute for quality health coverage and may even cost more when families with low and moderate incomes face unexpected medical bills: www.cbpp.org/blog/health-...

Sound State Revenue Choices Essential to Counteract Harmful Policies and Build Forward Last summer’s harmful Republican megabill paired enormous tax breaks for wealthy households and corporations with historically deep cuts that will take away people’s vital health care and food assista...

On state budgets, Wesley Tharpe, Clara Wilson, and Joanna LeFebvre emphasized the need for states to protect and raise revenue to help mitigate the effects of the harmful Republican megabill and state budget pressures: www.cbpp.org/research/sta...

This week at CBPP, we focused on state budgets, health, food assistance, and Social Security.

CBPP's Will Fischer on HUD's proposed rule that would allow housing agencies & owners to take rental assistance away from families who reach arbitrary time limits or can’t meet rigid work requirements (via X): x.com/WillPFischer...

Social Security Lifts More People Above the Poverty Line Than Any Other Program Social Security benefits play a vital role in reducing poverty in every state, and they lift more people above the poverty line than any other program in the United States. Without Social Security, 23...

Social Security benefits play a vital role in reducing poverty in every state & lift more people above the poverty line than any other program.

Without Social Security, 23.5 million more adults and children would live in poverty, according to our updated analysis.

www.cbpp.org/research/soc...

State & local policymakers in all states should prioritize protecting and raising revenues in 2026 and beyond to counteract the harmful Republican megabill. Here are some sound choices they can make: www.cbpp.org/research/sta...

State Choices in Medical Frailty Work Requirement Exemption Can Keep Eligible People Covered Without carefully crafted policies and systems, many people with serious health conditions could lose coverage despite being eligible. Fortunately, there are concrete steps states can take that can re...

A burdensome #Medicaid work req. could put ppl w/ serious health conditions at risk of losing coverage despite being eligible. States can make proactive choices to reduce coverage losses for eligible populations, incl. those who are medically frail. www.cbpp.org/blog/state-c...

#Medicaid plays an important in keeping people of all ages healthy. As of Oct. 2025, nearly 70 million people with low incomes got their health coverage through the program. www.cbpp.org/research/hea...

It’s appropriate for policymakers to use the budget process to push for critical protections. @shelbytgonzales.bsky.social #CBPPSOTU

the disaster relief fund had more than $7 billion in available funding as of January. That means FEMA will continue to respond to active disasters and emergencies that present immediate threats to life and safety (including "cleaning up snow") www.msn.com/en-us/news/u...

Reassignment Won’t Fix the Largest-Ever Social Security Staffing Cut The Social Security Administration will have fewer and less experienced staff on the front lines serving the public with significantly less support, leading to worse outcomes for people who rely on So...

Though Trump claims he'll "always protect Social Security," his Admin indiscriminately pushed out 7K+ SSA workers — the largest staffing cut in agency history — compromising access to earned benefits for seniors, bereaved families & people with disabilities. #CBPPSOTU

www.cbpp.org/research/soc...

Even as President Trump talks up his health proposals, key decisions he has already made are making care unaffordable for millions. Federal policies he backed will leave some 15M uninsured. If they stood in a line, it would reach from Chicago to Buenos Aires. #CBPPSOTU

Real talk - the first year of the Trump Administration has made it HARDER for families to afford the basics. #CBPPSOTU

Residential natural gas prices are up 98% since Trump took office and 8% year-over-year. www.eia.gov/dnav/ng/hist...

Here’s the reality: Nearly 15 million people will have their health coverage taken away & become uninsured due to cuts in the Republican megabill & the failure to extend the premium tax credit enhancements. What’s affordable about that #CBPPSOTU www.cbpp.org/research/hea...

Since Trump took office, household electric bills have gone up 13% nationally and 7% year-over-year. www.eia.gov/electricity/...

The Republican Megabill will result in millions of people losing access to health coverage and food assistance. Or as the President said - "lifting" people off assistance. So cruel. #CBPPSOTU