News Releases

• Apr 23, 2013 Leading Anti-Poverty Center Announces New Executive Director Today, CLASP (the Center for Law and Social Policy) announced the appointment of Olivia Golden, Ph.D. as its next executive director. She will succeed Alan Houseman, who has served in the position since 1981. Houseman will retire at the end of 2013.
• Sep 25, 2012 CLASP Explores New Approaches in Federal Policy to Help Low-Income Students Complete College Two unfortunate phenomena have been converging to make college even more elusive for low-income students: the affordability of postsecondary education is waning at the same time that low-income students in this slowly recovering economy must juggle school, family and work to earn credentials of value in an increasingly competitive job market. Against this backdrop, CLASP has received a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to participate in the Reimagining Aid Delivery and Design (RADD) project with 13 other organizations.
• Sep 17, 2012 CLASP Statement on OMB Sequestration Report The automatic, across-the-board cuts set to begin on January 2, 2013, by the sequester were intended to be a blunt and indiscriminate instrument that would inspire both parties to negotiate a compromise on a deficit reduction plan. At CLASP, we work tirelessly to create policy solutions that work for low-income people. Clearly, the sequester is anything but that."
• Sep 12, 2012 Growing Income Inequality, Continued High Poverty Point to Need for Sustained Support for Workers, Families Today, the U.S. Census Bureau released annual data on poverty, income and health insurance coverage in America. This report is a clear sign that there's tremendous need for government action to promote job growth, modernize jobs, help poor children get off to a solid start, and strengthen the safety net for families in hard times.
• Sep 11, 2012 Seven Community Colleges to Pilot Benefits Access Project "In today's economy, it's more important than ever that students have the supports to earn a higher education so they can land better jobs and support their families," said Evelyn Ganzglass, Director of Workforce Development at CLASP. "Rising college costs mean an education is increasingly out of reach for millions. By combining traditional student financial aid with public supports, students are better positioned to get by and complete their education. And when more students earn credentials, more employers have the skilled workers they need, and the labor market is able to stay competitive."
• Jul 18, 2012 New Ten State Alliance to Provide Quality Benchmarks and Measures of Success for Career Pathway Initiative (Washington, D.C.) -- Ten states, in conjunction with CLASP, the Center for Law and Social Policy, are launching the Alliance for Quality Career Pathways, a national effort to create a framework of benchmarks and measures of success for career pathway initiatives. The participating states will draw upon their combined decades of experience with this promising approach to education and training.
• Jun 28, 2012 Today's Affordable Care Act Ruling Momentous for Hard Working Americans Today's 5-4 decision by the Supreme Court on the Affordable Care Act ensures that we will have a fairer health care system that better meets our workforce and population's needs. While there are still questions on how states will respond to the Medicaid expansion provision, the ruling is a real victory for all Americans.
• May 10, 2012 CLASP Statement on House's Sequester Replacement Act Following is a statement by Alan W. Houseman, executive director of CLASP, regarding the House of Representative's upcoming vote on the Sequester Replacement Act. The bill proposes severe cuts to programs that provide much needed support to the nation's moderate- and low-income workers, children and elderly.
• Apr 26, 2012 New Tool: U.S. on Track to Leave Nearly $600 Billion in Revenue on the Table Unless Nation and States Increase Number of Adults with Postsecondary Credentials The nation is falling behind other leading countries in the number of adults with a postsecondary credential and the skills needed by employers. If the United States does not significantly increase the number of credentialed adults, the country stands to leave hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue on the table. These are the findings from a dynamic new data analysis released today by CLASP and the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS).
• Apr 16, 2012 Today's Vote on the Buffett Rule Matters to Low-income Families Following is a statement by Alan W. Houseman, executive director of CLASP, regarding the Paying a Fair Share Act of 2012 (S.2230), a bill introduced by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) to implement the Buffett Rule.
• Apr 03, 2012 Report: Work Sharing Finds Breakthrough in New Federal Law The law President Obama signed in February to extend payroll tax cuts and unemployment insurance (H.R. 3630) also provided a nearly $500 million expansion of work sharing, an employment strategy that helps businesses avoid layoffs during downturns and can dramatically reduce unemployment. Today, in the first of three papers, CLASP and the National Employment Law Project (NELP) released a detailed summary of the new federal law and how states can access it to combat layoffs.
• Mar 29, 2012 The Rebuild America Act Would Help Build Strong Families, Stable Middle Class "A stable middle class means stronger families, better outcomes for children and stronger fiscal health for the nation. The Rebuild America Act would offer opportunities such as education and training, child care assistance, and paid sick leave to ensure more ordinary families have the tools they need to access jobs have the chance to reach the middle class."
• Mar 20, 2012 House FY 2013 Budget Resolution: Same Song, Same Cast, Different Year House Republicans today released a budget that once again is strong on rhetoric but weak on reasonable ideas regarding how to restore prosperity to the economy, not to mention strengthen the nation's families and provide pathways to education, work, and economic security. The budget harkens back to the failed theory of trickle-down economics by providing tax cuts to those at the top, preserving special treatment for capital gains, cutting deductions for most workers and offering a vague hope that the benefits will eventually trickle down to ordinary Americans.
• Feb 02, 2012 Stigmatizing UI by Drug Testing Applicants and Denying Benefits to Those Without H.S. Diploma Conferees from the U.S. House and Senate currently are considering an Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits extension proposal that includes two highly controversial provisions-drug testing all UI applicants and denying benefits to those without a high school diploma or equivalent-that would penalize the most vulnerable workers, CLASP, the Center for Law and Social Policy said today.
• Dec 12, 2011 House bill cuts federal UI benefits, stigmatizes joblessness, penalizes workers with least education While the bill extends the payroll tax deduction, it limits the availability of federally funded unemployment assistance, includes punitive provisions for the least skilled jobless workers and inexplicably ties needed UI benefits and payroll tax reductions to permits for the Keystone pipeline.
• Nov 21, 2011 Super Committee Failure Part and Parcel of a Larger Problem The Super Committee was born out of congressional wrangling over our nation's policy priorities, and it seems to have met its demise in much the same way.
• Nov 18, 2011 Legal Aid a Casualty in FY 2012 Spending Package Congress voted Thursday, Nov. 17, on a spending package that includes significant cuts to the Legal Services Corporation, a move that will make it significantly harder for low-income people to access legal aid.
• Nov 17, 2011 Legislation to Protect Children a Significant First Step Much has been said over the last week in response to tragic events in Pennsylvania where it is alleged that Jerry Sandusky, former defensive coordinator at Pennsylvania State, sexually abused children and the abuse was witnessed by and known to many. Sen. Robert Casey (D-Pa.) late Wednesday afternoon introduced federal legislation that attempts to create a culture in which all adults take responsibility for protecting children. This is a significant and important first step. Following is a statement by Rutledge Q. Hutson, director of child welfare at CLASP.
• Nov 07, 2011 Alternative Poverty Measure Demonstrates Government Programs Help Reduce Poverty The Supplemental Poverty Measure released today by the Census reveals government has a key role to play in reducing poverty. As lawmakers debate deficit reduction and cutting domestic programs, they should keep this report in mind. With high unemployment and increasing poverty, it would be counterproductive to slash poverty-alleviating programs at any time but especially now when need is increasing.
• Oct 04, 2011 How Much Does Employee Turnover Really Cost? CLASP and the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) have released a turnover calculator, a dynamic new tool that allows employers to calculate how much turnover costs in just 10 questions. Employee turnover costs businesses millions each year, but many employers don't realize exactly how much it's costing their company. Workplace policies that support workers such as paid sick days and paid family leave can help employers reduce turnover and improve their bottom line.