Tag: Budget

While “omnibus” isn’t the way most people spell relief, in our nation’s capital nothing short of a huge sigh of relief was felt as the $1.1 trillion FY 2014 Omnibus Appropriations bill that funds every nook and cranny of the federal government passed the House and Senate by significant margins and headed for the president’s desk last week. And like most things that manage to pass Congress these days, there was a little something for everyone to like — and dislike — about the bill.

READ MORE from How Does Washington Spell Relief? O-m-n-i-b-u-s

Recently, President Obama talked about the need for stability in Washington. I trust he wasn’t talking about the Washington Monument and National Cathedral, both of which became a little wobbly after the earthquake. I’m pretty sure he was talking about the need for Congress to take care of routine business, like passing budgets and appropriations bills, reauthorizing certain laws like the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), generally not terrorizing the world over not raising the debt limit, things like that. And perhaps Congress already got the message.

READ MORE from Stability in Washington—a “Monumental” Task?

The Thanksgiving holiday fell later this year, which caused retailers great alarm since there would be six fewer shopping days left between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Congress is also running out of time between the holidays to accomplish their year-end goals, and yet they aren’t feeling the same level of angst. There are a number of unfinished items to work on but given that the holidays are upon us, I feel the highlights are best depicted as the Twelve Numbers of Congress. Sing along if you’d like.

READ MORE from Your New Holiday Carol: The Twelve Numbers of Congress

As nonprofit organizations like Goodwill continue to meet increased demand for services and labor to raise the necessary funds to meet those needs, Congress should seek to encourage everyone, regardless of income, to give more to charitable organizations. Any caps or limits placed on the charitable deduction will undermine the incentive effect, thus reducing charitable giving and hurting nonprofits. At a time when the nonprofit sector continues to see an increased demand for programs and services while public funds are being reduced, our elected officials should support policies that encourage all Americans to give more to charitable organizations and protect the people we serve.

READ MORE from Urge Congress to Protect Charitable Giving Incentives

This week, as Congress prepares for another effort to stabilize the nation’s fiscal outlook, a new report illustrates the impact that recent cuts to discretionary programs – including job training programs operated by Goodwill – has negatively affected people. “Faces of Austerity: How Budget Cuts Have Made Us Sicker, Poorer and Less Secure,” was released by NDD United, an alliance of more than 3,200 national, state, and local organizations – including Goodwill Industries International (GII) – working to prevent more harsh cuts to core government functions.

READ MORE from Goodwill® Featured in Report Outlining Negative Impact of Funding Cuts

Seventy-five years ago this Halloween Orson Welles and CBS Radio created panic in several parts of the US when they aired a nearly uninterrupted national broadcast of the H.G. Wells novel War of the Worlds. Congress, maybe hoping to top that effort, recently spooked the entire country and most of the financial world by shutting down most of the US government and nearly driving the nation into default.

READ MORE from Congress: Creating More Panic than Orson Welles

Once again, Congressional leaders have reached a temporary last-minute deal to avert economic Armageddon. In other words, with Congress punting the ball, the game has been extended into another overtime period. While the media’s focus on these political dramas appears like bad reality TV, the real-world realities are felt in local communities served by Goodwill® agencies. From employment opportunities for people with significant disabilities, veterans services, low-income housing, income tax assistance programs and more, local Goodwill agencies, their employees, and the people Goodwill serves are experiencing the pinch caused by the recent government shutdown.

READ MORE from Congress Averts Economic Armageddon, but Shutdown Impacts Felt by Communities

Once again, the country watches as the government risks having to shut its doors and default on the debt because Congress can’t seem to do it any other way. These dual events of autumn have become so familiar that they seem more usual than not.

READ MORE from It’s Business as (Un)usual when It Comes to the Budget

Once again, the country watches as the government risks having to shut its doors and default on the debt because Congress can’t seem to do it any other way. These dual events of autumn have become so familiar that they seem more usual than not.

READ MORE from It's Business as (Un)usual when It Comes to the Budget

As discussed in last week’s blog, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee recently cleared legislation (S. 1356) that would reauthorize federal investments in the nation’s core job training programs. With the House having passed its Workforce Investment Act (WIA) reauthorization bill on March 15, the HELP Committee’s action sets a new high-water mark in the decade-long effort to pass a reauthorization bill. Yet two significant obstacles remain before final passage.

READ MORE from Tea Leaves Reveal Significant Obstacles for Job Training Bill