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March 11, 2024
Louisiana’s FAFSA U-Turn Signals That “College-for-All” Has Peaked
…large in K-12 schooling, distorted our priorities, and had fueled the neglect of career and technical education. That take was noxious to education advocates, philanthropists, policymakers, and the higher education…
March 7, 2024
Growing Congressional Dysfunction Will Worsen Our Fiscal Problems
Few were surprised when deposed House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) retired in December. While Republican leaders tend to exit quickly after losing committee gavels or leadership posts, the additional departure of other respected senior lawmakers in both parties is damaging…
February 29, 2024
Recalling Pandemic Lessons on “Self-Certifying” Eligibility
…But policymakers should be on guard that this seemingly innocuous expansion in self-certification for minor workforce programs is not used to someday justify reviving the same policy for far costlier…
February 27, 2024
Options for Improving the Child Tax Credit Provisions in H.R. 7024, the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024
…policy reforms better suited to the current fiscal environment. We recognize policymakers’ urge to expand benefits for families that have weathered recent high inflation. Nevertheless, if lawmakers intend to pass…
February 8, 2024
CTC Expansion Rooted in Desire to Roll Back Work-based Welfare
…frequently call them. For these reasons, the refundable CTC should not be labeled tax relief, and policymakers should consider changes to it in the context of the broader safety net….
February 7, 2024
Child Tax Credit Bill Would Increase Marriage Penalties for Working Single Mothers
…in which taxes fall or transfers rise as a result of marriage. Policymakers have expressed growing concern over marriage penalties, in light of declining marriage rates and the growing prevalence…
February 7, 2024
The Past and Future of Education Reform
…and technical, and given that everyone agreed that taxpayers needed to be protected, Republican lawmakers gave the executive branch immense discretion to set repayment terms. (This turned out to be…
January 30, 2024
Democrats in the House Have a New (Old) Plan for Higher Education
Lately, it’s been Republican lawmakers who have been at the table and offering up comprehensive reform for higher education policy, but this week House Democrats got back in the game. Today, they…
January 29, 2024
Let’s Not Turn the Child Tax Credit Into Welfare
…policymakers will ultimately have to decide what the CTC should be: Is it tax relief for families, or is it a welfare program? The newly proposed CTC changes are part…
January 29, 2024
Pandemic Unemployment Fraud in Context: Causes, Costs, and Solutions
…including eligibility self-certification in new programs, and degraded administrative systems without adequate defenses against various fraudulent schemes. State and federal policymakers should review the causes and consequences of these unprecedented…