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The Medicaid Cliff Could be Steep for Millions. It Doesn’t Need to Be.

We will all be grateful when we can safely put the COVID-19 pandemic behind us. But, behind the sigh of relief many of us will feel, there will be millions of Americans who stand to lose the healthcare coverage they…

ICYMI: The Atlantic highlights bureaucratic hurdles preventing Americans from accessing safety net programs

“The Time Tax.” That’s what Annie Lowery called the burdens that safety net programs like food stamps and unemployment benefits place on the most vulnerable Americans in her recent piece in The Atlantic. CAMI has frequently called out the inefficiencies…

ICYMI: 50 state workforce agencies call for Congress to Prevent Disruption of UI programs

Americans in need can’t wait. They need Congress to act! Following up on the release of its 2021 legislative priorities, the National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA) penned a letter to Congress this week calling urgently for the extension…

50 state workforce agencies support extending staff flexibility for UI

The National Association of State Workforce Agencies (NASWA), which represents all 50 state workforce agencies, D.C. and U.S. territories, recently released its 2021 legislative priorities. Among the 2021 priorities is extending state staffing flexibility for the continued operation of Unemployment…

The Unemployment Insurance system is not working. Here’s how we fix it.

By: Former Congressman John Faso​, Senior Advisor to the Center for Accountability, Modernization, and Innovation (CAMI) The United States is getting back to normal. Restaurants are reopening, mask mandates for the fully vaccinated are falling by the wayside, and employers…

Congress must extend state authority to use contractors to administer unemployment benefits

Congress passes many laws; but the law enacted most often is the “law of unintended consequences.” In just one example: unemployment insurance legislation in the COVID relief package that is currently making its way through Congress through the process of…

Morning Consult: SNAP Deployment Is a Priority for the Biden Administration, but USDA Needs Reforms for It to Work

By John Faso & Russell Sykes | Originally published in Morning Consult The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed large gaps in America’s social safety net. President Joe Biden has focused on speeding up vaccine delivery to the states and has ordered…

Food Banks Feeling the Strain of COVID-19 Pandemic as Food Insecurity Rises

The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic downturn have been felt in every state across the country. While unemployment benefits and stimulus checks are being vigorously debated in Washington, D.C., the nation’s food security challenges continue to worsen as…

Vaccine Distribution Supply Chain Demonstrates Continued Need for Government Innovation

After a year of trials and tribulations as Americans have grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic,  the development and approval of vaccines have provided fresh confidence and represent the first step in returning back to “normal.” We now have two vaccines…

Food Banks and CAMI Agree that States Need Flexibility for SNAP Administration As SNAP Caseloads are Already Rising Rapidly

Food banks from coast to coast have written to CAMI stressing the need for common-sense flexibility for states to administer their food stamp programs in light of the COVID-19 pandemic: KAC (Wisconsin), Sister Carmen Community Center (Colorado), New York Common…

AEI: A conversation with Russell Sykes, former New York State Deputy Commissioner, on SNAP administrative challenges

By Angela Rachidi American Enterprise Institute Human service agencies across the country are grappling with increased demand for their services. At the same time, these agencies are trying to adapt their business models to reduce COVID-19 transmission. Recently, I spoke…

COVID-19 and the Urgent Need to Modernize America’s Benefit Programs

From its inception, CAMI has advocated for smart, innovative, accountable and modern solutions to improve government programs and benefits. The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting increased demand for government services has only further demonstrated the need for a new approach.…

CAMI on COVID-19: Addressing the Challenge of Food Insecurity

The COVID-19 pandemic has created significant health and financial insecurity for millions of Americans. The incredible economic stress, coupled with anxiety around the health and safety of our friends and family, has made it difficult for families to cope. Chief…

School Children Who Rely On Free/Reduced Meals Need Our Support

By Former Rep. John Faso and Stan Soloway America’s Poor School Children Need a Replacement for School Meals: New pandemic benefits are only as good as states’ ability to deliver them. And when it comes to food security, enormous gaps…

CAMI on COVID-19: What States are Doing

We live in unprecedented times. Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the United States earlier this year, more than 60,000 people have died from the virus, almost 30 million have filed unemployment claims just over the last six weeks, and the country as a whole is attempting to learn how to carry ...