While considered an “off” year, every election is important and provides an opportunity to be an active participant in our democracy. This year, New Jersey and Virginia will hold regularly scheduled elections for governor. Other state executive offices up for election include lieutenant gubernatorial seats and an attorney general seat. Including down-ballot races, there are seven state executive offices up for election across four states in 2021.
Category: Advocate
Washington Whiplash
There has been a lot of activity on the Hill and at the White House this week and the triangular negotiations on the reconciliation bill continue between progressive Democrats, moderate Democrats, and leadership (including President Biden).
National Disability Employment Awareness Month
Goodwill Industries International is proud to celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). In his Presidential Proclamation, President Biden stated that NDEAM provides a chance for us to recommit ourselves to dismantling barriers to access and inclusion in the workplace. As the President observed, “people with disabilities are still too often marginalized and denied access to the American dream. . . The COVID-19 pandemic has compounded these inequities, as people with disabilities have faced heightened risks.”
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Debt Ceiling Drama
Another crisis has been temporarily averted by Congress…for now. After a weeks-long standoff on the debt limit, the Senate passed a short-term measure that increased the ceiling by $480 billion, which will last until early December.
Shutdown Averted, But Congressional Showdown Continues
With a few hours to spare, Congress narrowly avoided shutting down the federal government after passing a continuing resolution to keep the government open until December 3rd. Lawmakers hope that the extension will given them ample time to pass the twelve appropriations bills, some of which have passed the House, but none have passed the Senate. Continuing resolutions have become the norm, with Congress enacting one or more in all but three of the last 44 fiscal years.
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Join Us on Tuesday for National Voter Registration Day
This year’s National Voter Registration Day is on Tuesday, September 28. While there are no federal-level races on the ballot this year, this doesn’t mean upcoming elections don’t matter.
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The Reconciliation Bill Moves Closer to Reality
The House Committees have finished marking up their portions of the reconciliation bill, a $3.5 trillion measure investing in components of President Biden’s American Jobs Plan and American Families Plan. Using reconciliation will allow the bill to pass with a simple majority and avoid a filibuster, however not every Democrat is onboard. Fighting within the party exists over the cost of the package and provisions related to taxation, drug pricing and climate change among others.
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A Moment of Reflection
I was going to blog about the partisan markup held by the House Education and Labor Committee as they write their portion of the reconciliation bill. As noted in previous updates, the reconciliation measure will include investments in human infrastructure including workforce development and job training, childcare, free community college, paid leave and more – all of which could not garner bipartisan support in the infrastructure bill.
Workforce Month Highlights Need for Investment
The U.S. Senate recently passed a resolution designating September as "National Workforce Development Month." It’s a time to recognize the important contributions that local workforce stakeholders, including community-based organizations like Goodwill®, provide in support of job seekers and career advancers, particularly those who have faced employment challenges because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Ask Congress to Invest in Workforce Development
The House of Representatives returned to Washington, DC for a moment during their summer recess for a crucial vote on the budget resolution. The budget resolution which already passed the Senate, sets the stage to allow committees to move forward with crafting the reconciliation package which will include investments outlined in President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda.
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Halftime in Congress
After a flurry of activity in the Senate, both chambers are now in recess for the time being. The Senate recently passed a bipartisan infrastructure package, followed by the partisan passage of the budget resolution which only received support from Democrats. Keep reading to learn the key items of interest to Goodwill® and the people we serve.
Senate Moves Closer to Voting on the Infrastructure Bill
by Laura Walling, Senior Director of Government Relations, Goodwill Industries International The Senate spent most of the week reviewing the 2,700-page infrastructure proposal and debating amendments. They will work through the weekend before taking a vote on final passage likely early next week. Some issues remain unresolved, including a pending amendment would allow state and
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