Politics
Federal Retirement Claims Backlog Peaks at 65,237 in 2026
Federal retirement processing has deteriorated sharply in 2026, with a new Congressional Research Service (CRS) report documenting a backlog crisis that...
Everything You Need to Know About the Earned Income Tax Credit
A Congressional Research Service (CRS) report updated September 14 explains the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), and who receives it.
CRS Guide to Health Insurance Exchange Enrollment Data Sources
Health insurance exchange enrollment data sources differ in timing, coverage and definition. A new Congressional Research Services report says exchanges,...
USDA Section 32 Funds Farm Support, Child Nutrition Programs
USDA Section 32 channels customs receipts into agricultural support and child nutrition, putting the program’s statutory design alongside an unsettled...
Housing Trust Fund Faces Funding Limits Despite Strong Results
A persistent shortage of affordable rental housing for the nation's poorest households is the central tension underlying a Congressional Research Service...
Medicare and Medicaid Remain Central to U.S. Nursing Home Care
Medicaid and Medicare play outsized roles in funding and access to nursing home care in the United States. As of July, 14,693 long-term care facilities with...
House Panel Weighs State-Led Solutions to Child Care Shortage
With only 14 percent of eligible children currently served, the House Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary...
Welfare Reform Hearing Reveals Divide Over Work Mandates
The House Subcommittee on Work and Welfare held a hearing September 1 examining the legacy of the 1996 welfare law and whether additional changes are needed...
Foster Adopt Connect Hires Penman Group to Lobby on Family Affairs
Foster Adopt Connect Inc., a Missouri- and Kansas-based foster care nonprofit, entered the federal lobbying arena for the first time this month. The...
Missouri Coalition Hires Penman Group for Budget Lobbying
Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence is a client of Penman Group LLC for lobbying purposes, and lobbies on Budget/Appropriations issues...
U.S. Maternal Mortality Rate Remains Above 2030 Target
The nation remains above its target for reducing pregnancy-related deaths, with persistent and widening racial disparities that underscore a critical gap in...
Committee Will Examine Fraud in Homelessness Services
The House Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency will hold a hearing on September 15 titled "Fixing Fraud And Failure In Federally Funded...
Social Security Tax Gap Widens for Married Disabled Beneficiaries
A Congressional Research Service analysis of Social Security's tax treatment, published September 2, reveals a widening gap in how the system affects...
U.S. Refugee Resettlement Sharply Curtailed Amid Global Displacement Crisis
A Congressional Research Service report published September 3 revealed that 117.8 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide in 2025. This forcible...
Social Security Trust Fund Depletion Projected for 2034
Social Security faces financial pressure, according to a Congressional Research Service (CRS) report published June 25. The program covers approximately 186...
U.S. Teen Birth Rate Hits Historic Low of 12.6 per 1,000
The U.S. teen birth rate reached a historic low of 12.6 per 1,000 females aged 15 to 19 in 2024, declining 3.8% from the prior year, according to a...
Social Security Trust Fund To Deplete by 2034
A Congressional Research Service report on Social Security trust fund investment reveals a program facing structural strain. The trust funds currently hold...
Social Security Now Drawing Down Reserves to Pay Benefits
The federal government's largest benefits program is now drawing down its asset reserves to cover the gap between what it collects and what it pays out....