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Category: Advocate
Biden Administration Releases Equity Action Plans
On his first day in office, President Biden signed Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government which directed the Federal Government to advance an ambitious whole-of-government equity agenda. As a result, over 90 federal agencies across the federal government, including all Cabinet-level agencies as well as over 50 independent agencies, recently released Equity Action Plans which outline steps being taken to improve equity and racial justice.
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Biden Marks April as Second Chance Month
The American workforce is experiencing a period of unprecedented disruption where many employers struggle to find qualified workers to fill over 11 million job openings. But for many jobseekers with a criminal background, particularly those reentering the workforce after incarceration, finding employment can be a daunting hurdle to overcome. President Joe Biden recently issued a proclamation marking April as Second Chance Month, a time to raise awareness of the challenges facing people that have been involved in the criminal justice system and to spotlight the important work being done by community-based organizations like Goodwill® to empower these individuals to achieve career and life success.
Biden’s FY2023 Budget Proposal
The administration recently submitted its FY23 budget proposal to Congress, outlining three core values: “fiscal responsibility, safety and security at home and abroad, and a commitment to building a better America.” The $5.8 trillion proposal budget details for the President’s “Unity Agenda” announced at the State of the Union in February, which aims to tackle the opioid crisis, bolster the mental health system, and fund research for his Cancer Moonshot program. However, the administration declined to outline the costs of elements from the president’s signature Build Back Better (BBB) bill as negotiations may continue. Instead, the proposal includes a placeholder for further action in the form of a “deficit-neutral reserve fund” to pay for key components of what was in the BBB, without providing specifics on the costs of such proposals – such as restarting the Child Tax Credit, Universal Pre-K, or fighting climate change.
Be an Advocate and Participate in Goodwill’s Virtual Advocacy Day
Today, nearly 100 Goodwill advocates including organization presidents and CEOs, mission leaders, communication professionals, volunteer board members, and more will meet virtually with hundreds of lawmakers and staff to discuss investments in America’s workers; changes to the workforce development system; and the impact of tax policies on nonprofits. They will be educating Congress about the role that Goodwill plays in their community.
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Federal Funding for FY22 is Enacted
Approximately six months into Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22), Congress passed an omnibus appropriations bill, funding the government for the remainder of the year, which ends on September 30. Until this point, the government had been running on a series of short-term continuing resolutions, the last of which was set to expire on March 11. While the House and Senate passed the measure before the deadline, another short-term resolution was put in place until March 15 to allow time to prepare the bill for the President’s signature.
A Moment of Reflection and Celebration
Over the past two years, COVID has had a drastic impact on our lives, livelihood and economy contributing to a loss of jobs, security, and nearly one million lives nationally. While we take a moment and reflect on what was lost during this time, it is important to celebrate what we’ve been able to accomplish together.
Highlights from the State of the Union
In his first State of the Union Address, President Biden had to balance discussing major challenges — both foreign and domestic — while noting points of optimism and hope where there can be bipartisan agreement on how to move the nation forward as the pandemic begins to subside.
Shutdown Averted…Again
Congress reached a bipartisan agreement to extend government funding from February 18 to March 11. The stopgap funding measure gives appropriators more time to draft and enact a final omnibus government funding bill for FY 2022 which began last October and ends September 30, 2022.
Tell Congress to Support Investments in Workforce Development
It is clear that the Build Back Better Act passed by the House will not garner the 50 Democrat votes needed to pass the Senate as written. As Congress continues to negotiate a parred back version of the bill, it is critical that a strong investment in workforce development remains.
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Celebrating Mentors in January
January is National Mentoring Month, a time to celebrate the contributions that mentors and mentoring programs have made to our lives and communities. Goodwill® has a long history of fostering relationships through mentoring, particularly those that promote positive outcomes for youth. Goodwill youth mentoring programs connect adult mentors with young people, including those impacted by the justice system or facing other barriers to opportunity, through engagements that emphasize positive development and career awareness activities that help youth gain confidence, avoid risky behavior, stay on track to complete secondary school, and successfully transition to postsecondary education and training.
Reflecting on the Past, While Looking Toward the Future
One year has passed since many of us watched in horror as our democracy was under attack. As I reflect on that time, I looked back at the blog I wrote in the following days. It states, “This cannot be the norm, and our nation needs to begin healing. The divisiveness in our country has been festering for years and has reached an awful tipping point where people lost their lives.
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