Why It Matters
Goodwill Industries International Inc. filed its quarter two of 2026 lobbying disclosure on Tuesday, July 21, reporting $100,000 in in-house lobbying expenses. The filing covers a broad set of issue areas, including budget and appropriations, education, labor and workforce policy, and taxation, reflecting the nonprofit's interest in federal programs that intersect with its workforce development and job training services, including the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), through which Goodwill provides employment services to older adults.
Broader Context
Congress enacted the FY2025 budget reconciliation law on July 4, 2025, introducing new work and community engagement requirements for Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Goodwill's disclosed issues touch on workforce development and job training program funding and the reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, both of which bear on the kind of employment services programs Goodwill administers.
Goodwill said more than 100 advocates, including local Goodwill CEOs, board members, and program participants, met with more than 200 members of Congress and congressional staff in April as part of its Goodwill on the Hill 2026 event, advocating for continued federal investment in workforce development. Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling addressed the group, according to Goodwill, discussing the Department of Labor's role in workforce training modernization.
That advocacy comes as SCSEP funding faces renewed pressure at the federal level. The Trump administration's fiscal year 2027 budget proposal calls for eliminating SCSEP funding, following a fiscal year 2026 authorization of $395 million, about $10 million less than the prior year.
The organization's government relations team includes Laura Walling, Vice President of Government Affairs, and Mitch Coppes, Government Relations Senior Specialist. The filing lists eight general issue area codes: apparel and clothing industry and textiles, budget and appropriations, copyright, patent and trademark, education, labor issues, taxation, trade, and waste.
The Bottom Line
Goodwill's $100,000 quarter two filing reflects continued engagement on federal workforce and budget policy at a moment when SCSEP funding itself is under direct threat, though the organization did not identify specific legislation it lobbied on during the quarter.
Access the Legis1 platform for comprehensive political news, data, and insights.
Spot something wrong? Report an issue with this article