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JOBS

JOBS POLICIES, ANALYSIS, AND RESOURCES

The Jobs and Infrastructure domain tracks and reports on policies that deal with job creation and employment, unemployment insurance and job retraining, and policies that support investments in infrastructure. This domain tracks policies emanating from the White House, the US Congress, the US Department of Labor, the US Department of Transportation, and state policies that respond to policies at the Federal level. Our Principal Analyst is Vaibhav Kumar who can be reached at vaibhav@usresistnews.org.

Latest Jobs Posts

 

Zinke Faces the U.S. Senate

Earlier this month, Department of the Interior head, Ryan Zinke, a self-declared geologist,  faced a senate hearing to address his proposed 2019 budget. However, this hearing may expand to include his numerous scandals.

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Investigating Trump’s Economy

Brief # 14 This past week, the United States Department of Labor reported the unemployment rate fell to 3.9% - a 17-year low. This makes the 3.8% target by the end of 2018 well within reach for the Trump administration and the Federal Reserve. Furthermore, nonfarm...

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4th Circuit Upholds A Lower Court’s Decision to Halt Travel Ban

Judicial Ruling
Issued on May 25th

Policy Summary

On May 25th the 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 10-3 to uphold a lower Court’s ruling blocking Trump’s travel ban. Chief Judge Roger L. Gregory ruled that Trump’s call during the campaign to suspend Muslim immigration could be used to establish a precedent that nefarious intentions were in mind in the drafting of this order. In the ruling he stated: “Then-candidate Trump’s campaign statements reveal that on numerous occasions, he expressed anti-Muslim sentiment, as well as his intent, if elected, to ban Muslims from the United States.” This ruling is just the first of two that are expected, as the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals is also deliberating on Trump’s travel ban.

Analysis

After the ruling Attorney General Jeff Sessions stated that the administration would appeal the case to the Supreme Court.  This case meets the two criteria for a Supreme Court case, the first being that the federal government is appealing the case, and the second being that t it involves a nationwide injunction. Therefore, it is very likely that the Supreme Court will decide to hear the case. If the Supreme Court does decide to hear the case it is unclear which way it would rule as the conservatives have a 5-4 majority on the court. However, in a lot of recent cases, Republican-appointed Justice Anthony Kennedy has sided with the liberal justices.

Engagement Resources

  • Local Options for Protecting Immigrants – This document hosted by the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights notes what steps local governments can take to protect immigrants against federal government actions.
  • Resistance Manual – Crisis Resources: If you know someone who is facing immigration troubles, please share this compendium of legal resources and relevant nonprofit organizations with them.
  • Immigration Volunteer Search – Search for immigration volunteer opportunities near you, and do your part to help those under siege from Trump’s policies.

This brief was compiled by William Lucier. If you have comments or want to add the name of your organization to this brief please contact william@usresistnews.org.

 

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The Budget: Medicaid and Food Stamps

Budget Proposal
Released May 23, 2017

Policy Summary

Trump’s budget proposal that was released on Tuesday, May 23 follows through with the AHCA bill’s $800 billion in cut to Medicaid over the next decade. As anticipated from the budget draft, this reduction would lead to 23 million fewer Americans insured. Along with work requirements for Medicaid eligibility, the administration is also encouraging states to impose stricter work requirements for other anti-poverty programs such as food stamps, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and housing assistance. In Georgia, state work requirements for food stamps reduced the number of recipients by more than half. Federal funding for SNAP would decrease by about $190 million over the next ten years according to the new budget. Republicans tend to support this reduction as it saves federal money and encourages people to get to work while Democrats tend to reject it, saying the federal government is leaving the most vulnerable citizens with no safety net for their basic needs. LEARN MORE

Analysis

This proposal is still in its preliminary stages and has a long way to go before anything actually changes. Although lawmakers are likely to alter or dismiss much of it, the proposal provides insight into the priorities of the administration. Those priorities seem to include slashing programs that help the poor such as Medicaid and Food Stamps while giving tax cuts to wealthy Americans. Budget director Mick Mulvaney claims that many of the changes to anti-poverty programs are to encourage recipients to get jobs. However, SNAP already requires able-bodied, childless adults to find jobs within three months and to work at least 20 hours a week. About 44% of the 42 million people who receive SNAP benefits already have at least one family member working. The problem may not be that recipients are not working, but rather that they are not earning enough at their jobs. LEARN MORE

Engagement Resources

This brief was compiled by Ann Furbush. If you have comments or want to add the name of your organization to this brief please contact Ann@usresistnews.org.

 

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Implementing an America-First Offshore Energy Strategy

Executive Order
Issued April 28, 2017

Policy Summary

This Executive Order issued by President Trump instructs his cabinet officials to open millions of acres of federally administered waters for energy development. The move will begin to reverse President Obama’s attempts to keep the U.S. waters from lease sales to fossil fuel companies and overturns overturned Obama-era regulations barring companies from drilling in the Arctic. “Past administrations have been overly restrictive of offshore energy exploration and have taken off the table hundreds of millions of offshore acres for development. As a result, 94 percent of the Outer Continental Shelf is off-limits to responsible energy development,” the administration said in a statement. LEARN MORE

Analysis

While Trump’s EO will open major swaths of land for oil and gas drilling, lengthy legal processes and low global energy prices make investment unlikely in the short term. The inevitable threat of drilling, however, worries environmental groups; Earth Justice President Trip Van Noppen argues that “Trump’s short-sighted order reverses climate progress and imperils coastal communities, irreplaceable wildlife and our shared future.” Jamie Williams, president of the Wilderness Society, explains that “the chance of a tragic spill in those remote, icy waters is simply too high, and the impacts to marine life and the pristine coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge could be devastating.” LEARN MORE

Engagement Resources

  • Natural Resources Defense Council – a nonprofit international environmental advocacy group committed to fighting Trump’s “environmental assault” and using “every tool in the kit to stop this dangerous tar sands oil pipeline project.”
  • Greenpeace – an international environmental NGO that uses direct action, lobbying, research, and ecotage to raise public awareness and to influence the public and private sectors.
  • Sierra Club – the nation’s largest environmental preservation organization; recent focuses include green energy, mitigating global warming, and opposing coal.

This brief was compiled by Vaibhav Kumar. If you have comments or want to add the name of your organization to this brief please contact vaibhav@usresistnews.org.

 

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Memorandum For Federal Prosecutors Regarding Department Charging and Sentencing Policy

State Department Memorandum
Released May 12, 2017

Policy Summary

Attorney General Jeff Sessions put out a recent memorandum requiring federal prosecutors to “charge and pursue the most serious, readily provable offense”. This memo asks prosecutors to seek and prosecute suspects for the crimes with the harshest penalties; that includes prosecuting nonviolent offenders for crimes that have minimum sentences. Any prosecutor wishing to seek lesser charges must obtain approval from the Attorney General. The memo can be found HERE.

Analysis

Critics of the new policy warn that this will lead to an increase in HIV transmission, as minimum sentencing seriously affects nonviolent drug offenders. A recent study found that these strict policies lead to negative health outcomes. Injection drug users are driven underground for fear of persecution, where they are more likely to share needles and avoid seeking treatment or testing. Republican Senator Rand Paul wrote that this policy is a step backward for the fight against the opioid epidemic, as it will severely punish those who would benefit most from treatment. LEARN MORE

Engagement Resources

This brief was compiled by Elizabeth Kiefer. If you have comments or want to add the name of your organization to this brief please contact elizabeth@usresistnews.org.

 

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Student Loan Interest Rises

Planned Interest Rate Increase
Scheduled for July 1, 2017

Policy Summary

New Student loan borrowers will see a jump in their interest rates beginning in July. Interest rates on new government loans are set to rise by 0.69 percentage point (from 3.76 percent to 4.45 percent) nearly a 20 percent increase for undergraduate borrowers. Some graduate loan rates will also rise from 5.31 percent to 6 percent and loans for parents and guardians are also expected to see a jump from 6.31 percent to 7 percent. This increase has its roots in a 2013 provision to change how the federal government sets interest rates on student loans, moving away from a system in which Congress defined rates years in advance, to one in which rates would be tied to the the government’s cost of borrowing over 10 years. The goal was to create an environment in which students would benefit from low interest rates when the economy wasn’t growing very much. LEARN MORE

Analysis

About 42 million Americans collectively owe roughlyn$1.3 trillion on their student loans, as it is. This increase terrifying to many because following years of tuition hikes, this is just another step towards making college education a lifelong financial burden.”It makes it even scarier,” said ASU graduate student Guadalupe Vela. “I’m not sure I’m going to be able to afford the interest on my unsubsidized loan.” Still, some financial experts say that although the increase isn’t ideal, federal loans are still better than the private alternative. “Since their interest rates are fixed, they won’t go up in the future, and they also come with crucial protections like income-driven repayment and forgiveness for public-sector workers,” said Brianna McGurran of the personal finance website NerdWallet. LEARN MORE

Engagement Resources

  • Student Debt Crisis – A nonprofit organization, Student Debt Crisis is dedicated to reforming student debt and higher education loan policies.
  • Contact your state legislators – Call your representatives and let them know that college affordability is important to you!
  • Student Loan Borrower Assistance Project – A project of the National Consumer Law Center, the SLBAP is a resource for borrowers, their families, and advocates representing student loan borrowers.

This brief was compiled by Cindy Stansbury. If you have comments or want to add the name of your organization to this brief please contact, cindy@usresistnews.org.

 

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Religious Exemption To Be Used To Discriminate In Texas Adoption Cases

Proposed Texas State Law
Proposed on May 10, 2017

Policy Summary

On May 10, 2017, the House of Representatives of the Texas State Legislature approved House Bill 3859, popularly known as “The Freedom To Serve Children Act.” The bill provides a defense for state-funded faith-based private adoption agencies that will insulate them from potential lawsuits for their decision to deny a couple from adopting a child. Every faith-based private adoption agency in Texas are Christian organizations and their mission is to place foster children with adoptive families. With this law, faith-based adoption agencies can prevent children from being placed with deserving couples and base their decision on their own personal religious beliefs. LEARN MORE

Analysis

The proposed law in Texas is a deeply flawed bill. The bill will permit these faith-based agencies to refuse service to otherwise deserving couples for nothing more than a difference in religious views. Reggie Greer, Director of Constituent Engagement at the Victory Institute, has called this proposed law a “license to discriminate” while viewing the law as a way to prioritize one set of religious beliefs (Christian) over all others. The nonprofit Family Equality Council has also called the proposed bill an impermissible effort to circumvent non-discrimination laws. It can be used to deny adoption to minority or community groups that Christian groups do not want to support, such as qualified gay and lesbian couples who wish to adopt a child.

Favoring or disfavoring one qualified group over other qualified groups is still discrimination and this law is instead making it harder for children to be placed in stable and supportive homes. LEARN MORE, LEARN MORE, LEARN MORE

Engagement Resources

This brief was compiled by Rod Maggay. If you have comments or want to add the name of your organization to this brief, please contact rod@usresistnews.org.

 

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Campaign Finance Issue Hiding Behind President Trump’s Executive Order On Religious Liberty and Free Speech

Executive Order
Issued on May 4, 2017

Policy Summary

On May 4, 2017, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled “Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty.” Section 2 of the order ensures that the “Department of the Treasury [will] not take any adverse action against any individual, house of worship or other religious organization on the basis that such individual or organization speaks or has spoken about…political issues from a religious perspective.” An adverse action, as defined in the order is an [1] imposition of tax or penalty, or [2] the delay or denial of tax – exempt status. Churches and religious organizations in the United States are tax – exempt under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code with certain restrictions against political activities. LEARN MORE, LEARN MORE, LEARN MORE

Analysis

The executive order signed by President Trump will have serious repercussions for campaign finance, not religious liberty or free speech. The danger with President’s Trump order to relax IRS actions against those religious organizations who endorse or advocate for a particular candidate is that corporations and unions may now contribute monies to churches in the hopes that the church will endorse the candidate the corporations or unions prefer. Corporations and unions were prohibited from contributing to candidates prior to 2010. After 2010, they needed to create a Super PAC (Political Action Committee), which currently have no limits on the amount of contributions it can accept.

With this order, corporations and unions now have a vehicle to make unlimited campaign contributions (Individuals are restricted to $5,400 a year per candidate). With the threat of losing their tax – exempt status no longer looming, churches can spend hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S. elections and become much more influential in selecting candidates and influencing policy initiatives favorable to the church and their corporate donors. This will diminish the voice of the ordinary American citizen because a single person cannot match the amounts that corporations and unions can contribute. Only those with the most money would seem to have a voice in American politics. LEARN MORE, LEARN MORE

Engagement Resources

This brief was compiled by Rod Maggay. If you have comments or want to add the name of your organization to this brief, please contact rod@usresistnews.org.

 

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Trump’s Sanctuary City Executive Order and Legal Responses

Executive Order
Issued on January 25, 2017

Policy Summary

On January 25th Trump signed an executive order entitled: “Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States”, which called for federal funding to be withheld from states that allow sanctuary cities. Sanctuary cities are cities that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration officials. The order drew swift condemnation from immigration activists across the country. A federal judge in California however, has struck down the portion of the executive order which allows the federal government to withhold funding from sanctuary cities. Additionally, Attorney Generals from 5 States and the District of Columbia are coordinating to permanently stop the order.

Analysis

The legal challenges to the executive order are rooted in the 10th Amendment, which stipulates that any powers not delegated to the federal government in the Constitution are given to the states. Ironically, the legal basis for this defense is rooted in an Antonin Scalia Supreme Court ruling in which he stated: “the Tenth Amendment prohibited the federal government from “commandeering” the cooperation of state governments in enforcing federal law.” While the legal basis for the order is very shaky, and as such it will likely not hold up in court, it’s important to stay vigilant as immigration arrests are up 38% with Trump as president.

Engagement Resources

  • Local Options for Protecting Immigrants – This document hosted by the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights notes what steps local governments can take to protect immigrants against federal government actions.
  • Resistance Manual – Crisis Resources – If you know someone who is facing immigration troubles, please share this compendium of legal resources and relevant nonprofit organizations with them.Immigration Volunteer Search: Search for immigration volunteer opportunities near you, and do your part to help those under siege from Trump’s policies.
  • Immigration Volunteer Search – Search for immigration volunteer opportunities near you, and do your part to help those under siege from Trump’s policies.

This brief was compiled by William Lucier. If you have comments or want to add the name of your organization to this brief please contact william@usresistnews.org.

 

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Judge in Hawaii Blocks Trump’s Second Travel Ban

Judicial Ruling
Issued on March 15, 2017

Policy Summary

Judge Derrick Watson of the Federal District Court in Honolulu issued a temporary restraining order that halted the travel ban nationwide.The revised travel ban executive order titled: “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States” was signed on March 6th. In his ruling, Judge Watson concluded that the plaintiff, Ismail Elshikh, had his first amendment rights violated on the basis of religious discrimination. Judge Watson drew extensively on past quotes from President Trump, pushing back against the administration’s insistence that only the text of the order itself was relevant. Judge Watson also rejected the administration’s insistence that the order was drafted in the interest of National Security, ruling that National Security only served as a pretext for the order. LEARN MORE

Analysis

The ruling highlights how Trump’s extreme statements, such as his call for a total shutdown of Muslim immigration, can come back to haunt him, hindering the implementation of his policy agenda. Furthermore, after learning of the ruling, Trump stated that the second travel ban was “just a watered-down version of the first.” These statements serve to undermine the very arguments that his administration is using to defend the ban. Nevertheless, it is important to keep in mind that Judge Watson’s ruling is only temporary, as the administration is currently appealing the ruling. It is very likely that the Supreme Court will have the final say over the legality of the travel ban.

Engagement Resources

  • U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants – USCRI Is committed to helping serve refugees both at home and abroad. To get involved you could donate, volunteer or even mentor a refugee family.
  • Sunrise USA – Sunrise USA is a nonprofit that supports Syrians who are both internally and externally displaced. They provide food, support education, establish trauma-care facilities, and facilitate orphan sponsorships.
  • Attend a Town Hall – Attend a town hall near you, and voice your opposition to the travel ban directly to your representative.

This brief was compiled by William Lucier. If you have comments or want to add the name of your organization to this brief please contact william@usresistnews.org.

 

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The Impact of AHCA on Jobs

Proposed Legislation
Proposed in May 2017

Policy Summary

The American Health Care Act (AHCA) passed in the House of Representatives on May 4, 2017. The Republican-sponsored bill aims to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Under the AHCA, Medicaid expansion would be rolled back, and its status as an entitelment program would end. Instead, the House Bill calls for Medicaid providing states with block grants or an allotment for enrollees. The taxes imposed on the wealthy, insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, and manufacturers of medical devices that were included in the ACA to help subsidize health care costs for low-income people would be removed under this new health care bill. This could result in billions of dollars in tax cuts for the rich, without any additional assistance for the poor.

Other changes include basing tax credits to help pay for insurance on age, instead of income. Additionally, the bill removes the individual mandate and offers fewer protections for the elderly and those with preexisting conditions. The bill will also allow states to apply for waivers to opt out of certain ACA provisions, such as essential health benefits. Under the AHCA, Planned Parenthood will no longer be eligible for federal reimbursements. The Congressional Budget Office did not have time to evaluate the latest version of the bill, but its previous assessment estimated 24 million people would lose their insurance coverage if the AHCA became law. LEARN MORE, LEARN MORE, LEARN MORE

Analysis

The ACHA will not only fundamentally change our current healthcare system but also have a negative impact on our economy. Undoing the Affordable Care Act will result in less government spending on Medicaid and fewer subsidies for private insurance. In addition, the American Health Care Act will cut taxes for high-income Americans. As a result, Representative Pelosi claimed: “It [Trumpcare] will destroy nearly 2 million jobs across America.” A study by the George Washington University claimed that three distinct factors will lead to job loss due to Trumpcare. This drastic cut in jobs will be caused by a major cut in spending on Medicaid, fewer subsidies for private insurance, and tax cuts for higher-income Americans will lead to fewer jobs in America.

A study by the Center for American Progress claims that less spending on health care due to cuts to Medicaid and fewer health insurance subsidies will directly result in lower employment in the future. The study hypothesizes that around 1.2 million jobs will be lost due to tax cuts, 1.7 million jobs would be lost because of less spending and Medicaid, and around 505,000 jobs would be lost because of the replacement of individual subsidies with tax credits (coupled with the end of the individual mandate). In total, there will be about a loss of 2.9 million jobs by 2022. A study found by the Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University estimates that the job loss will affect all sectors because of the lack of federal funding is expected to be cut by 1.5 trillion between 2019 and 2023 which means that there will be less money to spend on hiring. In addition, only about a third of the job losses will be in the healthcare sector – the rest will be in all other industries where companies are forced to spend more on their healthcare and have less disposable income to spend on workers salaries’. LEARN MORE

Engagement Resources

  • AFL-CIO – The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations is a national trade union center and the largest federation of unions in the United States.
  • American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees – The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees is the largest trade union of public employees in the United States.
  • 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East – This is the largest healthcare union the United States. With a membership of 400,000 including retirees, its stated mission is to achieve quality healthcare, good jobs and social justice for all.
  • Stand with Planned Parenthood – check out and get involved with the number of ways to support Planned Parenthood as they fight to keep offering accessible and affordable health services.
  • US Senate – Contact your local representatives to take a stance against this proposed legislation.

This brief was compiled by Vaibhav Kumar. If you have comments or want to add the name of your organization to this brief please contact vaibhav@usresistnews.org.

 

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