White Paper: “Modernizing Public Benefits Delivery”

Why Congress should extend key COVID-19 flexibilities on programs like Medicaid, CHIP

On March 20, 2020, no one could have predicted how COVID-19 was going to impact our country. But in the ensuing three years, virtually everything about our lives has felt the difference. The impacts have also been palpable across most,…

Ignoring the Lessons of the Pandemic Puts Families at Risk

By Stan Soloway, Ian Walton, and Taylor Keeney | RealClear Policy At some point in the next three to six months, absent explicit action from the Biden Administration or Congress, it is anticipated that the official “Public Health Emergency (PHE)”…

Making the Customer Service Executive Order Really Work

By Stan Soloway | Government Executive On December 13, the Biden administration issued a sweeping executive order designed to drive new and better ways to improve the “customer,” or citizen, experience with government agencies. According to the order, the focus…

Bloomberg report finds 9 million Americans did not have access to Unemployment Insurance due to massive, years-long backlogs

A recent estimate from Bloomberg Businessweek found that 9 million Americans lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic, and were unable to get Unemployment Insurance: “…at least 9 million Americans thrown out of work by the pandemic who…

Raising the Contractor Minimum Wage: It’s Not as Simple as it Looks

Stan Soloway | Originally posted on Government Executive One of President Biden’s first actions following his inauguration was to issue an executive order requiring that the minimum wage paid by government contractors be at least $15 per hour. While it…

Time to Learn Our Lesson: The Opportunities from the COVID-19 Pandemic to Enable State and Local Governments to Work Better for the People they Serve

Stan Soloway | Originally posted on the American Public Human Services Association Americans are finally starting to see there may be a light at the end of the tunnel after a long year of grappling with the impact of the…

NBC News Special Report: Americans are still struggling with food insecurity. Congress must act now.

Americans are struggling to get help. But it doesn’t need to be this way As part of its series of reports on the hunger crisis and growing food insecurity in America, NBC News on February 2, 2021 highlighted some of…

Washington Post: A Growing Number of Americans are Going Hungry

26 million now say they don’t have enough to eat, as the pandemic worsens and holidays near.

Covid: A Public-Assistance Reform Opening

During the current pandemic, some three dozen states have taken advantage of program flexibilities authorized as part of the national pandemic relief.

Real Clear Policy: ‘Operation Warp Speed’ is the Key to Beating Covid & Restoring US Economy

By Former Congressman John Faso | There is encouraging news on the development of vaccines to beat the coronavirus. No fewer than four vaccine candidates are in advanced clinical trials. Major pharmaceutical companies such as Astra Zeneca and Moderna are…

Families USA: Modernizing Public Benefit Eligibility During the Coronavirus Pandemic

COVID-19 has fundamentally altered American life and exposed longstanding deficiencies in our public benefit systems. As part of our partnership with Families USA and the National Center for Coverage Innovation, CAMI supported an in-depth analysis of how we can achieve…

Help for hunger here at home

Congressman John Faso | NY Daily News The Daily News’ front page this week said it all: “Hunger Pains,” describing how city food pantries were preparing for a potential second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The same story is being told…

Hungry Children Can’t Wait for Government ‘Innovation’

Stan Soloway | Government Executive In the midst of a crisis, USDA policies make it nearly impossible for states to deal with the surging need for food assistance. Two months ago, I wrote in this space about the current pandemic’s…

Now Is The Time to Reform Government, Not Swell Its Payrolls

John Faso | RealClear Policy Public health authorities have said that an essential part of the effort to contain coronavirus outbreaks is to institute a system of contact tracing across the nation. The Centers for Disease Control and others recommend…

GovExec Daily: Removing Barriers to Innovation in COVID-19 Legislation

Stan Soloway joined the podcast to explain how the pandemic is an opportunity for legislation modernizing some aspects of government. The coronavirus crisis has upended American life, with the federal government and state governments responding with various levels of efficacy.…

The Pandemic Is a Clarion Call to Remove Barriers to Innovation

The COVID-19 crisis presents an opportunity to put in place solutions that will benefit us all, now and in the future. Across the spectrum of relief and stimulus initiatives, many of them federally funded and state administered, antiquated technology and…

There’s a Playbook for Implementing the CARES Act; Agencies Need to Follow It

We are going to see billions of dollars in new contract spending for both surge and ongoing requirements. Some 15 years ago, the Professional Services Council and the Army Materiel Command teamed up on a joint “lessons learned” exercise focused…