The Coalition on Human needs just released another edition of the Human Needs Report, our regular newsletter on national policy issues affecting low-income and vulnerable populations. Read on for the latest on Congress's spending deal, a new attack on migrants, a victory for minimum wage workers, and more. Click here for a PDF version.   

In This Edition

Deal on Spending Levels Close
A deal between House and Senate leaders and the White House to raise tight spending caps put in place by the 2011 Budget Control Act is reportedly in the final negotiation stage. While final details are still trickling out, it has been reported that a deal has been reached to raise spending caps for FY20 and FY21 and raise the debt ceiling through July 31, 2021. READ MORE »

Trump Administration Moves to End Asylum; ACLU Cries Foul
The Trump Administration last week announced a sweeping rule that cuts off asylum for almost all migrants who pass through the country en route to the U.S.-Mexico border, and it took the ACLU all of 48 hours to file a lawsuit. READ MORE »

Citizenship Question Out of 2020 Census, Trump Concedes; But Controversy over the Question Continues
Even though the U.S. Supreme Court in late June put a halt to the Trump Administration's efforts to include a citizenship question in the 2020 Census, and President Trump announced on July 11 his Administration would stop pushing for the addition of such a question, controversy over the effort continues. READ MORE »

ACA Headed Back to Supreme Court?
A full nine years after its enactment, the future of the Affordable Care Act remains uncertain as courts continue to grapple over its constitutionality. A panel of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals recently heard arguments over whether the fact that Congress eliminated the ACA's penalty for not signing up for health care rendered the entire law invalid. READ MORE »

Advocates Celebrate House Passage of $15 Minimum Wage Bill
Advocates celebrated the July 18 passage of legislation to gradually raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 by 2025 and index it to inflation after that. The Raise the Wage Act would lift wages for tens of millions of workers. READ MORE »

Proposed Rule Would Favor Abusive Debt Collectors over Consumers
Aug. 19 is the deadline for commenting on a proposed rule that would do more to protect the interests of abusive debt collectors than protect consumers. Advocates believe the rule allows for consumer harassment and protects deceptive practices by debt collectors. READ MORE »

The Human Needs Report is the regular newsletter on national policy issues affecting low-income and vulnerable populations from the Coalition on Human Needs. Sign up to get the Human Needs Report delivered directly to your inbox, subscribe to our blog, and follow CHN on Facebook and Twitter.