This post, authored by LeeAnn Hall , originally appeared on TalkPoverty.org . LeeAnn Hall discusses why Medicaid expansion is necessary for women's health and urges states who have not done so to take this important action . TalkPoverty.org is dedicated to demonstrating that we know how to dramatically reduce poverty; we just need to build the political will. Make sure to like TalkPoverty on Facebook and follow us on Twitter ! With two weeks left in the second enrollment period for Affordable Care Act health coverage, marketplace enrollment is projected to reach between 9 million and 9.9...

This post, authored by Virgil Pack, originally appeared on TalkPoverty.org . Many, like Virgil, work 65 hours a week and still do not have benefits, leading to higher economic insecurity . TalkPoverty.org is dedicated to demonstrating that we know how to dramatically reduce poverty; we just need to build the political will. Make sure to like TalkPoverty on Facebook and follow us on Twitter ! Good morning, my name is Virgil Pack, I’m 45-years-old and I live in Richmond, Virginia. I’m a father of two kids—a daughter and a son. My daughter’s name is Ashleigh, she’s 21 and attending UDC in her...

This post, authored by Jonathan Rapping, originally appeared on TalkPoverty.org . Mass incarceration and resulting criminal records undermine family economic security. TalkPoverty.org is dedicated to demonstrating that we know how to dramatically reduce poverty; we just need to build the political will. Make sure to like TalkPoverty on Facebook and follow us on Twitter ! Criminal justice systems across the country have come to accept, and perpetuate, a shameful standard of justice for poor people. The basic humanity of the indigent accused is too often denied, and the democratic necessity of...

This post, authored by Traci Donnelly, originally appeared on TalkPoverty.org . A minimum wage increase will not help families exit poverty by itself – we need other work supports that ease the economic strain on families. TalkPoverty.org is dedicated to demonstrating that we know how to dramatically reduce poverty; we just need to build the political will. Make sure to like TalkPoverty on Facebook and follow us on Twitter ! A few years ago, a young man named Israel and his wife enrolled their daughter in one of our Early Head Start programs. Israel, the son of Mexican immigrants, worked long...

This post, authored by Kate Scully, originally appeared on TalkPoverty.org . The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) boosts the food security of millions of Americans. TalkPoverty.org is dedicated to demonstrating that we know how to dramatically reduce poverty; we just need to build the political will. Make sure to like TalkPoverty on Facebook and follow us on Twitter ! Fifty years ago President Johnson signed the Food Stamp Act of 1964 into law. The legislation made the food stamp program, now called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), permanent. SNAP has...

Quality improvements are indeed important—important enough to warrant the additional investment required. But we cannot keep pretending that these improvements can be paid for out of the current pool of meager resources. If we do, then even fewer children will be served. Child care centers serving low-income families will either opt-out if the quality improvements are voluntary, or be priced-out of existence if they are mandatory. Either of these outcomes will exacerbate the struggles of the working poor.

There is a clear connection between economic insecurity and anti-LGBT laws. Nineteen states lack almost any form of legal protections for LGBT people, and that has a real, tangible economic impact. When a gay or lesbian worker can be fired legally in 29 states; when a transgender person can be denied comprehensive health insurance in 42 states; or when a lesbian couple can be evicted in 29 states—the economic toll adds up.