After months of contentious negotiations and multiple short-term extensions, Congress has finally completed its work on Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) funding. The federal government had been operating under a series of stopgap continuing resolutions, the last of which was set to expire on March 22.
Category: Advocate
White House Announces FY25 Budget Plan
As lawmakers on Capitol Hill continue their work to finalize federal funding for the current fiscal year, the Biden Administration is pushing forward with its plans for FY25 funding with the release of the President’s annual budget request to Congress. The White House touted the $7.3 trillion budget plan as a continuation of the Administration’s efforts to lower costs for families, protect and strengthen Medicare and Social Security, and reduce the budget deficit by $3 trillion over the next ten years.
2024 State of the Union Recap
President Biden recently delivered his State of the Union remarks before Congress. Among the special guests invited to attend the speech was Ariel Clarke who works as a Senate custodian through Goodwill of Greater Washington’s participation in the AbilityOne program. AbilityOne empowers nonprofit organizations, including many local Goodwill® organizations, to provide employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities to deliver a range of contract business services to government agencies.
Leap into Advocacy
It is a leap year which means we have an extra day on the calendar. Congress is grateful as it gives them another day to negotiate fiscal year deadlines and avoid a government shutdown.
Career Technical Education Preparing Students for Success
For more than 12 million secondary and postsecondary students across the country, career and technical education (CTE) programs provide pathways to continued education and good jobs. Programs of study in CTE combine academic instruction with hands-on learning and occupational skills training for careers in in-demand fields like health care and information technology.
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2024 State of the States Highlights
More than half of the governors of states, territories and commonwealths have outlined their priorities for 2024 in state of the state or commonwealth addresses, as well as inaugural addresses for new and re-elected governors, with several more anticipated over the next few weeks. The nation’s governors are nearly evenly split between the two parties, with 27 Republicans and 23 Democrats holding office as of January 8, 2024. Eleven states will hold gubernatorial elections this year. Read more about the themes of interest to Goodwill and the people we serve.
Congress Approves Federal Funding Extension
Congress averted a partial government shutdown again, and this time we have mother nature to thank in part. With a snowstorm in the DC area impacting lawmakers’ ability to return home, the Senate and House passed a stopgap funding measure on the same day, pushing the January 19 and February 2 shutdown deadlines to March 1 and 8.
Congress Returns with a Short Window to Accomplish Goals
Congress returned from the holiday recess and attempted to pick up where they left off, focusing on measures to fund the government with deadlines fast approaching.
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Year in Review
As the first year of the 118th Congress comes to an end there have been numerous reports highlighting that this Congress has been on a sluggish pace in passing legislation and has been the least productive since the Great Depression. In this polarized environment it can feel at times that our advocacy efforts are not making an impact.
House Committee Pushes for Bipartisan Update to Workforce Law
The House Education and the Workforce Committee recently took a significant step toward reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) with the introduction of the A Stronger Workforce for America Act. The bill is the product of months-long bipartisan negotiations in the committee on an update to the primary federal workforce development law for the first time since 2014.
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Give your Voice During the Season of Giving
On the heels of Giving Tuesday, Goodwill Industries International joins our partners in the Charitable Giving Coalition in calling on Congress to expand charitable giving incentives to all taxpayers. Since 2012, Giving Tuesday has marked the beginning of the year-end season of giving, during which Americans display unmatched generosity through charitable donations.
Congress Punts Funding Deadline Into 2024
In a rare show of bipartisanship for a deeply divided Congress, lawmakers recently passed a second stopgap funding bill to avert the government shutdown that threatened to take effect after the midnight deadline on Friday, November 17. The continuing resolution (CR) temporarily extends funding for federal agencies and programs into 2024 using staggered deadlines.
