People First: Improving Government Services to the Citizen

Listen to our latest podcast for expert insights from House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole on an American food crisis.

Hear from former Congressman John Faso on the state of play with SNAP.

In our latest episode, our host Former Representative John Faso is joined by Congressman Brad Finstad from Minnesota, the Chairman of the Nutrition Subcommittee, to discuss the FY24 Farm Bill.

Welcome back to People First, a podcast dedicated to discussions on how government programs can be revamped so that they better serve the American people. Join us as we explore recent Farm Bill developments and answer the question: how can we fix our broken bureaucracy to help SNAP recipients get the help they need? In this episode, our host, Former Representative John Faso, is joined by his friend and former colleague, Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska, who sits on the House Agriculture Committee.

In this episode, our Chairman Stan Soloway is joined by Chris Harkins, Director of the State Budget Office for Michigan. Together, they navigate the challenges and adaptations required in the wake of the pandemic and changing expectations for state workers.

In our latest episode, our host Former Representative John Faso is joined by Congressman GT Thompson from Pennsylvania, the chairman of the House Agriculture Committee who provides an update on the Farm Bill and how things are progressing and some of the issues that we're facing.

In this episode, CAMI Chairman Stan Soloway and Former Representative John Faso were joined by Russell Sykes, a former consultant to Maximus Inc. and the Center for Accountability, Modernization and Innovation (CAMI), to dive in even deeper into government benefits systems and how they relate to the Public Health Emergency. Mr. Sykes was the Deputy Commissioner of the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA), where he supervised 12 senior direct reports and a staff of nearly 300. While there Sykes was responsible for the statewide oversight of the SNAP, TANF, Welfare to Work, SSI State Supplement, EBT, LIHEAP outside contracting with vendors, and multiple other programs and benefit systems.

In this episode, CAMI Chairman Stan Soloway and Former Representative John Faso were joined by Matt Salo, Executive Director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors, to dive in even deeper on a pressing issue - America's Benefits Cliff. After years of overseeing Medicaid, Matt brings a valuable perspective on America's benefits cliff problem within the healthcare system, especially in the wake of a public health emergency.

In this episode, CAMI Chairman Stan Soloway and former Representative John Faso continue the conversation about America's benefits cliff with husband-and-wife duo Steve Goldsmith and Kate Coleman. Steve and Kate are both long-time experts in the field of government management, innovation, and public service delivery. They shared insight into the glaring lack of an equitable, skills-based workforce training how that pushes Americans out of work and off the benefits cliff.

For those just tuning in, this series aims to provide perspective on the benefits cliff and how different levels of the government and the private sector are working to resolve this issue as we continue to grapple with the pandemic. In this episode, CAMI Chairman Stan Soloway and former Representative John Faso sat down with Dr. Nick Hart - president of the Data Foundation and former director of the Bipartisan Policy Center's Evidence Project. Throughout his career, Dr. Hart has championed efforts to use government-collected information to evaluate and improve government. To learn more about The Center for Accountability, Modernization, and Innovation (CAMI), visit https://TheCenterforAMI.org To stay up to date on the latest CAMI news, follow on Twitter: @TheCenterforAMI

For decades, our public assistance programs have focused on helping low-income Americans find employment, slowly phasing out benefits as they get back on their feet. But today, some people lose benefits too soon and end up in a situation where they are worse off economically for taking a job or getting a raise. In this episode, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Human Services Clarence Carter joins CAMI Chairman Stan Soloway and former Representative John Faso. Commissioner Clarence Carter has spent his career administering assistance programs that help strengthen the safety net. Now, he is implementing a series of pilot projects in Tennessee that will rely on the community to give those in need a leg up as they transition out of assistance programs. To learn more about The Center for Accountability, Modernization, and Innovation (CAMI), visit https://TheCenterforAMI.org To stay up to date on the latest CAMI news, follow on Twitter: @TheCenterforAMI

For decades, our public assistance programs have focused on helping low-income Americans find employment, slowly phasing out benefits as they get back on their feet. But today, some people lose benefits too soon and end up in a situation where they are worse off economically for taking a job or getting a raise. In this episode, Robert Doar, poverty expert and President of the American Enterprise Institute, joins CAMI Chairman Stan Soloway and former Representative John Faso to discuss America's benefits cliff and what policymakers can do to ensure low-income families have access to critical assistance as long as they need it. To learn more about The Center for Accountability, Modernization, and Innovation (CAMI), visit https://TheCenterforAMI.org To stay up to date on the latest CAMI news, follow on Twitter: @TheCenterforAMI

How do you get free school meals to students who are now learning at home? Should we enable community leaders to take a leading role in public assistance programs? Are there ways we can modernize resources and streamline processes to stretch resources even farther? Could public/private partnerships be the solution? In part two of our latest podcast episode, listen to Tracy Wareing Evans, the CEO of the American Public Human Services Association, in a discussion with CAMI Chairman Stan Soloway and former Representative John Faso, along with former OMB official Ed DeSeve, on the opportunities and challenges presented by the American Rescue Plan. To learn more about The Center for Accountability, Modernization, and Innovation (CAMI), visit https://TheCenterforAMI.org To stay up to date on the latest CAMI news, follow on Twitter: @TheCenterforAMI

In this episode, Ed DeSeve joins CAMI Chairman Stan Soloway and former Representative John Faso to discuss The American Rescue Plan, the enormous new stimulus bill and relief package that was recently passed by Congress and signed into law by President Biden. They dive into ways the government can mitigate fraud and maximize public trust in the program, ensuring program benefits go to the people who need them. To learn more about The Center for Accountability, Modernization, and Innovation (CAMI), visit https://TheCenterforAMI.org To stay up to date on the latest CAMI news, follow on Twitter: @TheCenterforAMI

Why do we make poor people work so hard to prove they are poor? Why is it so hard for a nursing home employee who works with the elderly every day to get a coronavirus vaccine? Is the government providing public assistance in a dignified manner? In this episode, Sonal Shah, Professor of Innovation, Georgetown University, joins CAMI Chairman Stan Soloway and former Representative John Faso to discuss how innovation can help us tackle important issues like the coronavirus vaccine rollout and food insecurity. To learn more about The Center for Accountability, Modernization, and Innovation (CAMI), visit https://TheCenterforAMI.org To stay up to date on the latest CAMI news, follow on Twitter: @TheCenterforAMI

Adam Meier, a partner at Connecting the Dots Policy Solutions, joins CAMI Chairman Stan Soloway and former Representative John Faso to discuss the importance of breaking down barriers to public services as we continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Adam brings his experience as Secretary of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services in Kentucky to discuss how states are leading the way to integrating programs and stakeholders to work better for the citizens. To learn more about The Center for Accountability, Modernization, and Innovation (CAMI), visit https://TheCenterforAMI.org To stay up to date on the latest CAMI news, follow on Twitter: @TheCenterforAMI

Are you curious about how COVID-19 is impacting government assistance programs like SNAP and Medicaid? Do you think these programs would work better if they were updated and utilized new approaches to handle increased demand? In the inaugural episode of our new podcast, People First: Improving Government Services to the Citizen, Director of the National Center for Coverage Innovation at Families USA Stan Dorn joins CAMI Chairman Stan Soloway and former Representative John Faso to examine the readiness of the nation's public assistance programs to handle a pandemic. To learn more about The Center for Accountability, Modernization, and Innovation (CAMI), visit https://TheCenterforAMI.org To stay up to date on the latest CAMI news, follow on Twitter: @TheCenterforAMI