House Budget Plan Includes Sharp Cuts to Programs for Poor
A familiar budget plan to sharply cut safety-net programs for the poor and clamp down on domestic agencies is cruising to passage in the tea party-flavored House.
safety net
Safety Net Success Stories: Four Former 47%-ers Speak Out
At some point in your life, were you a 47%-er? On the heels of a leaked videotape in which GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney spoke harshly of those who pay no federal income tax, some now-successful Americans have been stepping up publicly to answer this question in the affirmative.
What Stops When a State Gov't Shuts Down?
The government of Minnesota has been essentially shuttered for a week since the governor and legislature failed to find a compromise solution for the state's $5 billion shortfall. But it's hard to imagine what it means to "shut down" a state of 5.3 million people. Here's what it means to them.
Is Social Security Safe with the Tea Party in Power?
The Tea Party-led Republican Party has already won the battle to cut this year's federal budget, and it has announced a plan to dismantle Medicare. Is a proposal to cut Social Security payments next?
Rising Suburban Poverty Challenges the Safety Net
While the Great Recession caused the U.S. poverty rate to hit a 15-year peak, a longer trend has seen suburban poverty increasing. According to a new report, the recession only exacerbated the problem, with social safety nets providing fewer services to meet the rising need.
Newt Gingrich: Say No to 'More Food Stamps'
"More food stamps? Or more paychecks?" Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich suggests that's how the GOP should couch the national policy debate before the midterm elections. But will it work?
Thanks to Austerity Moves, Britain Keeps Its AAA Rating
The government of British Prime Minister David Cameron won a key vote of confidence from the financial community Monday when Moody's Investors Services announced that it would continue to apply a AAA rating to the country's debt, despite its severe economic dislocation.
