In Case You Missed It...

This week on Off the Charts, we focused on the federal budget and taxes, health care, food assistance, the safety net, and jobs.

• On the federal budget and taxes, Chye-Ching Huang highlighted a recent must-read study that clarifies the relationship between tax cuts and growth. Brandon DeBot explained why tax incentives for retirement savings are ripe for reform. Chad Stone described how House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s call for “dynamic scoring” in tax reform is a gimmick that would only invite more mischief.

• On health care, Judy Solomon listed three reasons why an Oklahoma judge’s decision on a key piece of the health reform law is wrong about health subsidies. Sarah Lueck noted that dire predictions about a sharp spike in premiums in the individual insurance market under health reform have failed to come true.

• On food assistance, Brynne Keith-Jennings pointed to our updated quick guide to SNAP eligibility and benefits. Becca Segal noted Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s praise of community eligibility for providing breakfast and lunch to schoolchildren in high-poverty schools at no cost.

• On the safety net, Stacy Dean explained why annually assessing the share of people eligible for both Medicaid and SNAP who actually receive both would better inform officials on how well we serve our poorest families and individuals.

• On jobs, Chad Stone illustrated September’s jobs data, which show improvements over August’s figures though with substantial room for further gains.

This week, Chad Stone released a statement on September’s employment report. We also updated our guide to SNAP eligibility and benefit calculation rules and our chart book on the legacy of the Great Recession.

CBPP’s Chart of the Week:

Image

A variety of news outlets featured CBPP’s work and experts recently. Here are some highlights:

Paul Ryan Calls for Tax Cut Mischief
US News & World Report
October 3, 2014

Nearly 20 Years Later, a New Approach to Welfare
WNYC
October 2, 2014

African-Americans Less Ready to Retire
Seattle Medium
September 29, 2014

Don’t miss any of our posts, papers, or charts — follow us on Twitter and Instagram. We’re still accepting internship applications for Spring 2015. Apply today!