CQ Roll Call Policy Briefs

A new 10-year budget forecast shows soaring revenue increases that the Congressional Budget Office acknowledged it can't fully explain. CQ Roll Call's David Lerman and Peter Cohn analyze the latest fiscal and economic projections and explain what they might mean for future spending and tax policy. 

The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing Tuesday on the ninth anniversary of the Dreamers act. CQ Roll Call's Suzanne Monyak reports on what to expect.

The White House has laid out how they'll use the funds allocated to the previous administration's border wall efforts. CQ Roll Call's Paul Krawzak reports.

A mammoth surface transportation bill advanced out of House committee early Thursday morning, but a lot of it will be left on the cutting-room floor when it reaches a conference committee with the Senate. CQ Roll Call's Jessica Wehrman explains.

House lawmakers, angry about ransomware, and hearing the Colonial Pipeline CEO, urge the Biden administration to be more aggressive in fighting cyber threats. CQ Roll Call's Gopal Ratnam reports.

Europe is still deeply disquieted by the illiberal direction the U.S. has taken, despite Biden's victory. The U.S. President will have to calm jittery nerves to successfully negotiate new understandings on thorny issues. CQ Roll Call's Rachel Oswald reports.

Senators grilled the acting OMB director, Shalanda Young, on Tuesday over the administration's proposed fiscal 2022 budget. Their questions provide a roadmap for potential stumbling blocks ahead. CQ Roll Call's Paul Krawzak reports.

President Biden's task force to reunite families separated under the Trump administration says it lacks records on more than 2,100 kids, according to a new progress report. CQ Roll Call's Suzanne Monyak reports.

President Biden took Congress by surprise by proposing a severe cut in funds for the program designed to improve safety and security of biological materials and medical surveillance overseas. CQ Roll Call's John Donnelly reports.

The pandemic made clear that the digital divide is profound--especially when it comes to tribal lands. CQ Roll Call's Dean DeChiaro reports.

As OMB considers tinkering with the official population threshold of "city" for the first time in 70+ years, leaders in 144 cities fear they may lose billions of dollars. CQ Roll Call's Michael Macagnone reports.

CQ Roll Call's Ariel Cohen digs into age groups who are vaccine-resistant and what the government is trying to do to change their minds. It may surprise you to find out that Gen-Z leads the pack.

The president is determined to reach his target of 70 percent of the nation vaccinated by July 4. CQ Roll Call's Emily Kopp reports on the latest administration plans to get there.

Senate rules referee says use of special procedure to pass multiple filibuster-proof bills should be reserved for "extraordinary circumstances." CQ Roll Call's Paul Krawzak reports what they might be.

The most diverse electorate in the country's history headed to the polls in 2020, but pollsters and party officials aren't quite sure how to tap that potential source of political support.

While the pandemic begins to lift there are still many questions about moving forward. CQ Roll Call's Lauren Clason reports on lingering questions about masks, efficacy of vaccines and breakthrough cases of COVID-19.

President Biden released the FY 2022 budget Friday afternoon and there is a lot of proposed spending -- $6 trillion to be exact. CQ Roll Call's budget tracker David Lerman reports on the top 10 things you need to know.

The Senate was left without any Black women when Vice President Kamala Harris left the chamber to join the White House. CQ Roll Call's Bridget Bowman reports that activists are eying two Senate races in North Carolina and Florida as opportunities to fill the void Harris left behind.

House Democrats from swing districts are nearly all in on earmarks. CQ Roll Call's Jennifer Shutt reports on what this means.

Federal incentives to expand Medicaid coverage may not be enough to convince the final 12 holdout states, as lawmakers and advocates in several states grapple with how to move forward. CQ Roll Call's Sandhya Raman reports.

A new DHS Inspector General report found that immigration authorities failed to give hundreds of migrant parents the chance to reunite or take their kids back home with them before getting deported. CQ Roll Call's Suzanne Monyak reports.

The Biden administration will not be able to admit the 62,500 refugees allowed under this year's cap. CQ Roll Call's Caroline Simon explains why.

Tucked in the Biden administration's public works proposal is a requirement that could remold the country's electricity network, decarbonize the grid and wind up as one of the most aggressive steps to address climate change the U.S. has ever taken. But as CQ Roll Call's Ben Hulac reports, the devil lies in the details.

The Biden administration and some employers have not extended COVID-19 vaccine paid leave policies to parents helping kids get shots. As CQ Roll Call's Ariel Cohen reports, this gap could make it difficult for some of the most vulnerable to get vaccinated.

Cracks among House Democrats came to the fore this week with policy disagreements on police reform, Israel and taxes. CQ Roll Call's Shawn Zeller explains how this could threaten Biden's agenda.

The Treasury department released a report Thursday on how tax enforcement initiatives will work and how Treasury plans to arrive at $700 billion in revenue to help pay for “human” infrastructure. CQ Roll Call's Peter Cohn breaks it down.

Shareholders are beginning to say no to high compensation for chief executive pay. CQ Roll Call's Laura Weiss reports on what is fueling this new trend.

As Congress and the Pentagon struggle to understand the extent of extremism in the military--and what to do about it-- experts and those with direct experience say the armed forces have a problem. CQ Roll Call's Mark Satter has this special report.

The State Department has changed its U.S. citizenship policy on children born abroad, scrapping a previous genetic requirement imposed under prior administrations. CQ Roll Call's Suzanne Monyak reports.

House Republicans Wednesday made an opening bid on their version of an infrastructure proposal and released a $400 billion, five-year authorization of highway, transit and safety programs.

A Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing on Tuesday showcased testimonies in support of a national program for paid family and medical leave. CQ Roll Call's Caitlin Reilly reports.

Three years ago, the Federal Election Commission changed the rules so that contributors money could pay for child care for those running for office. As CQ Roll Call's Stephanie Akin reports, more candidates are relying on campaign dollars for childcare.

The pandemic has taken a toll on the nation's mental health, and children are no exception. CDC data shows visits by 12-to 17-year olds to the ER stemming from mental health issues rose 31 percent from March to October 2020 over the previous year. CQ Roll Call's Sandhya Raman reports on the impact and what can be done.

The White House announced today it would export 20 million additional COVID-19 vaccination doses overseas to help stem the global pandemic. CQ Roll Call's Ariel Cohen reports.

The House Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee held a hearing on building a mental health crisis response system. CQ Roll Call's Sandhya Raman reports.

Public health, which experts say has been underfunded for years, gets a boost from the White House. CQ Roll Call's Emily Kopp reports on a Biden administration investment to the tune of $7 billion in training for public health workers.

As the U.S. considers how to help the globe get vaccinated, corporate shareholders got traction in recent demands that COVID-19 vaccine makers Pfizer and J&J report on how they're considering access and pricing in the pandemic. CQ Roll Call's Laura Weiss reports on what's next for vaccine makers.

A new $28 billion fund opened up two weeks ago to help restaurants get back their footing after the pandemic. But as CQ Roll Call's David Lerman reports demand already outstrips supply.

U.S. Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee today to talk about efforts to form a global effort on climate change. As CQ Roll Call's Joseph Morton reports China took center stage.

Advocates and policy experts are telling lawmakers that last month's 2020 Census results suggest changes to the U.S. immigration system -- particularly to attract young foreign nationals -- could be the solution to reversing the nation's slowest population growth in nearly a century. CQ Roll Call's Suzanne Monyak reports.

The first tranche of cash -- $350 billion in pandemic relief -- has been released by the Treasury department to help state and local coffers. But many GOP states want to use it to supplement tax revenues setting up a fight. CQ Roll Call's David Lerman reports.

The Biden administration is finally reviewing rules to protect workers from COVID-19. CQ Roll Call's Emily Kopp explains how it is pitting industry against unions.

Medicare's looming financial crisis is the biggest hurdle to a telehealth expansion as lawmakers and advocates seek to capitalize on momentum from the pandemic's shutdown on in-person care.

The Biden administration provides some more detail on its goal of setting aside 30 percent of U.S. land and water for conservation purposes by 2030. CQ Roll Call's Joseph Morton reports.

The Facebook Oversight Board's decision to uphold the social media platform's suspension of former President Donald Trump won plaudits from just about nobody. And it put Facebook squarely within the sights of Washington partisans. CQ Roll Call's Dean DeChiaro reports.

President Biden is seeking $1.2 billion in border infrastructure. As CQ Roll Call's Caroline Simon reports, lawmakers have vastly different ideas of how that should be spent. 

New analysis from Penn Wharton finds that President Biden's family aid package — which would expand child care, education and more — would cost more than advertised if passed, and the proposed tax increases won't raise as much as expected. Doug Sword reports.

Cryptocurrency experts are closely watching a legal battle between Ripple Labs Inc. and the Securities and Exchange Commission, anticipating the case could establish precedent and clarify the regulatory landscape for digital coin offerings. CQ Roll Call's Keith Lewis reports.

The White House and lawmakers are building momentum on what they see as a better policy solution to address the nation's rising rates of maternal mortality and morbidity. CQ Roll Call's Sandhya Raman reports.

Experts worry that relying on pediatricians' offices to vaccinate kids for COVID-19, as the administration plans to do, could exacerbate inequalities. CQ Roll Call's Ariel Cohen explains.

Now that the US has announced its intention to withdraw all forces from Afghanistan, what will happen to the special visa program for Afghans who helped translate for the United States? CQ Roll Call's Caroline Simon reports.