Just in time for the holidays, the Senate has passed a bill that adjusts federal criminal sentencing guidelines in an effort that required serious bipartisan work. The “FIRST STEP Act” was passed by an overwhelming majority of the Senate and now goes to the House where Republican and Democratic lawmakers say they are ready to vote and send it to the President, who has previously said he would sign it into law.
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In politics, the “lame duck” Congress refers to the period of time where the Congress is in session after their successors have been elected. According to Wikipedia (so it must be true), “The phrase ‘lame duck’ was coined in the eighteenth century at the London Stock Exchange, to refer to a stockbroker who defaulted on his debtsIt was transferred to politicians in the nineteenth century, the first recorded use is in the Congressional Globe (then the official record of the United States Congress) of January 14, 1863: "In no event could [the Court of Claims] be justly obnoxious to the charge of being a receptacle of 'lame ducks' or broken down politicians."
Congress returns to work this work and unfortunately likely back to their partisan corners following a pause to celebrate and honor the life of President George H. W. Bush. Before we dive into the issues that remain before the closing of the 115th Congress, Goodwill Industries International would like to take moment and honor the legacy of President Bush.
READ MORE from The End of a Congress – Hopefully Not the End of an Era
Tis’ the season of giving and many on the heels of Giving Tuesday, people will be making contributions to their favorite charities. But did you know that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that went into effect this year could negatively impact those very nonprofits, including local Goodwill® organizations?
This Thanksgiving we’re giving thanks for our advocates. Regardless of your connection to Goodwill®, you volunteer your voice to speak up on behalf of those who face challenges to employment. You educate policymakers about the mission of Goodwill and the impact of their decisions.
We have officially hit mid-November – Veterans Day was commemorated this week and as I write, the newly elected lawmakers have come to Washington while votes from the mid-term election are still being counted or re-counted in 11 house and senate races. The freshman class of elected officials is in D.C. to begin congressional orientation, and includes 16 veterans among the 150 veterans who ran. Among the many firsts in the 116th Congress are four women veterans, which may bring the women’s military service caucus to its highest ever at around six women.
Because I’m a policy wonk and I’m competitive, I entered an election challenge being run by Politico. I looked at polls, did my research, and made my projections on a number of races in the House and Senate.
“I am a VOTER.” These were the words on my shirt when I wrote this blog. While I originally wore the shirt on Halloween, I plan to wear it again on Tuesday, November 6th when I go to the voting booth with a potentially historic number of my fellow Americans to vote in the mid-term election. In fact,
We recently asked for you, our public advocates, to weigh in via a survey as the Goodwill Industries International (GII) Government Relations team crafts GII’s public policy agenda for the next Congress. The people have spoken. When asked to identify the top three policy issues of importance, labor issues (wages, paid sick leave, paid family leave, etc.) received the most number of responses. These issues impact local Goodwill organizations as both an employer where increases in operational expenses may impact the ability to provide mission services, but also as a provider of job-training and job placement services.
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October is National Financial Planning Month. One on hand it’s another “thing of the month,” and on the other, why not check on how individuals and families are planning for their future, saving for retirement, building generational economic security?
As we look ahead to a new Congress which will convene in January, the Goodwill Industries International (GII) government relations team is proactively working on our public policy agenda for the 116th Congress. While the party that ultimately controls the House and Senate may determine how much weight is given to a particular issue or how we will advocate around an issue, the issue itself is still important.
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). NDEAM celebrates the contributions of workers with disabilities and educates about the value of a workforce inclusive of their skills and talents. This year's theme—"America's Workforce: Empowering All" —aligns with Goodwill's defining mission of providing all workers, including those with disabilities, with job placement and training services.
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