| The bipartisanship edition. When many Americans view Congress these days, they see partisan gridlock. Yes, gridlock is painfully real on many issues, including the basic issues of how to fund government – and what to fund in government. Already there is talk of possible government shutdown(s) in January and February because more extremist members in the House are pushing back on topline spending levels passed as a part of the debt ceiling package with bipartisan support earlier this year.
But bipartisan work and bipartisan compromise is happening in Congress, particularly in the Senate but also occasionally in the House. And as a result, issues of importance to the human needs community, particularly in the policy areas that help families in need, are progressing.
Below you will read about some of these issues. And, after a brief summary, you will see facts and statistics about why these issues are important and why we need bipartisan discussions to continue.
At a recent policy forum hosted by Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity and American Policy Ventures, with support from the Doris Duke Foundation, Sens. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) discussed some of the issues where the two have crossed the partisan aisle to work together, as well as other bipartisan work in the Senate. Here are a few examples:
Child Tax Credit (CTC). Sen. Hassan is currently working with Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) on a path forward for tax legislation that includes an expansion of the CTC combined with a business tax break for research and experimentation expensing. Although differences certainly continue to exist on how large a CTC expansion should be and how much it would cost, consensus is emerging that the CTC needs to do better at including the lowest income families with children. Many policymakers point to the longstanding history of bipartisan support for the Child Tax Credit in conversations about tax priorities.
SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act. Sponsored by 10 Democrat and Republican Senators and nine Democrat and Republican Representatives, this legislation would raise SSI asset limits to $10,000 for singles and $20,000 for couples and would greatly aid low-income people with disabilities.
No Surprise Act. Sens. Hassan and Cassidy worked together to pass the No Surprise Act, which bans surprise medical bills. Cassidy said the legislation, which was signed into law by former President Trump, is, on average, preventing one million surprise bills per month.
TRIUMPH for New Moms Act. Sens. Hassan and Thom Tillis (R-NC) cosponsored this legislation, which created a Task Force on Maternal Mental Health. The tax force is now up and running – it held its first meetings this fall. Still pending is the Connected MOMS Act, which would require that pregnant women have access to certain forms of remote telehealth. That bill is sponsored by Sens. Cassidy, Hassan, Young, Tom Carper (D-DE), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV).
In addition, a new bipartisan, bicameral working group in Congress is seeking informationabout bipartisan paid leave proposals. Other bipartisan efforts address substance addiction and the opioid crisis, a low-income tax credit to make housing more affordable, more funds for child care, and prevention of child abuse. There are others – bipartisanship is not exactly thriving, but it exists and can move meaningful help to millions of people.
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