On his first day in office, President Biden signed Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government which directed the Federal Government to advance an ambitious whole-of-government equity agenda. As a result, over 90 federal agencies across the federal government, including all Cabinet-level agencies as well as over 50 independent agencies, recently released Equity Action Plans which outline steps being taken to improve equity and racial justice.

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The American workforce is experiencing a period of unprecedented disruption where many employers struggle to find qualified workers to fill over 11 million job openings. But for many jobseekers with a criminal background, particularly those reentering the workforce after incarceration, finding employment can be a daunting hurdle to overcome. President Joe Biden recently issued a proclamation marking April as Second Chance Month, a time to raise awareness of the challenges facing people that have been involved in the criminal justice system and to spotlight the important work being done by community-based organizations like Goodwill® to empower these individuals to achieve career and life success.

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The administration recently submitted its FY23 budget proposal to Congress, outlining three core values: “fiscal responsibility, safety and security at home and abroad, and a commitment to building a better America.” The $5.8 trillion proposal budget details for the President’s “Unity Agenda” announced at the State of the Union in February, which aims to tackle the opioid crisis, bolster the mental health system, and fund research for his Cancer Moonshot program. However, the administration declined to outline the costs of elements from the president’s signature Build Back Better (BBB) bill as negotiations may continue. Instead, the proposal includes a placeholder for further action in the form of a “deficit-neutral reserve fund” to pay for key components of what was in the BBB, without providing specifics on the costs of such proposals – such as restarting the Child Tax Credit, Universal Pre-K, or fighting climate change.

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Today, nearly 100 Goodwill advocates including organization presidents and CEOs, mission leaders, communication professionals, volunteer board members, and more will meet virtually with hundreds of lawmakers and staff to discuss investments in America’s workers; changes to the workforce development system; and the impact of tax policies on nonprofits. They will be educating Congress about the role that Goodwill plays in their community.

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