Copy
Sept 15, 2021  |  VIEW IN BROWSER

 

AFOP Celebrates 50th Anniversary, Full National Conference Agenda Planned

Kendra Moesle, AFOP Director of Workforce Development
September 8, 2021

 
We are getting excited for the 2021 National Conference, made special this year by the fact that AFOP is celebrating its 50th anniversary.  50 years ago, in 1971, eight organizations got together and created this unique association, in order to ensure the continued delivery of job training and supportive services for this nation’s farmworkers.   A lot has changed since then, and we have grown by leaps and bounds, but our mission remains the same:  to provide the launching pad to a better and more stable life for the workers who plant, tend, and harvest the crops that Americans consume at their tables.

With PY2021 appropriations, our members are now serving farmworkers whose income is 150% or less of the federal poverty guidelines, instead of only 100%: hardly a high wage by any measure.  At this new threshold, a family of four would still be living on less than $40,000 per year.  But this modification is huge, especially for members in areas with a high cost of living.  In California, for example, the median home costs $552,800, which is nearly twice the median cost for the entire United States.  When multiple farmworker families live under one roof just to pay the rent and cannot afford the very food they pick, the National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP) must make adjustments so that it continues to serve the poorest of the poor.

AFOP will fight for this new guideline to be included in future appropriations and legislation, in addition to other measures that benefit farmworkers.  Just recently, for example, AFOP joined 500 other organizations in calling for a $100 billion increase for workforce development as President Biden requested in his Build Back Better plan that the House will soon consider.  That package cannot be blocked by a Senate filibuster, so it stands a chance of passing the evenly divided Senate later this fall.

Unfortunately, the delivery of workforce development services has not gotten any easier with the disruptions brought on by COVID-19 – quite the opposite.  While some service providers can serve their participants effectively in a virtual environment, and AFOP members have pivoted to do much the same, the lack of digital access and high mobility of the farmworker population means that NFJP still works best in-person.  That’s why our AFOP Training Institute (ATI) is offering a new curriculum this year called “Building Employer Support, Job Placement and Retention to Meet your Performance Standards.”  This training program is customized for NFJP caseworkers and job developers, and incorporates considerations of the new environment that’s been developing since the start of the pandemic.  For more information on how to register, click here.

The old adage “the only constant in life is change” has never been more true than in these last 18 months.  But we hope it brings some comfort to know that AFOP is committed to seeing our members through these constant changes with the stalwart presence and support we have been for 50 years and hope to continue to be for 50 more.

INSIDE AFOP

Seasonal Farmworker in Missouri Achieves Dream of Becoming a Trucker

UMOS


T. Jones is a seasonal farmworker from southeast Missouri who spent years performing labor-intensive jobs for minimal earnings.  Chopping cotton, shoveling and hauling grain and working in pecans were some of his seasonal jobs.  He had a strong interest in the trucking industry but was in need of a CDL to build a career.  He felt his dream was out of reach until a prior participant of the UMOS National Farmworker Jobs Program shared his successful story.  That person had received vocational training through UMOS and secured a stable job in trucking.

His friend shared UMOS contact information and Jones scheduled an appointment to meet with WIOA Placement Specialist Sandra Self at the Kennett office.  Jones began vocational training the next month.  He completed vocational school successfully gaining his CDL.  Five days later, he secured employment at PTI in Sikeston as CDL- Over the Road Driver.  At his 30-day review, he was earning $18.00 an hour and moving forward with his career.  In the summer, he left his job at PTI to earn higher wages at LTI Trucking in St. Louis.  Jones recently completed his 210-day review and is still employed with LTI Trucking averaging $25.00 hourly.  Jones stated, “UMOS has an excellent NFJP Program, and if you apply yourself, you can get your life on a successful track!”

Read more

PathStone Launches New NFJP Office in Maine

AFOP
August 10, 2021

 
PathStone Corporation is increasing its participant base by providing direct services in the State of Maine.  Maine becomes the eighth state in which PathStone provides direct services to participants.  The United States Department of Labor’s (DOL) Employment and Training Administration awarded this grant to PathStone on June 25, 2021.

PathStone’s team for these services is led by Jeffrey Lewis, Senior Vice President of Direct Services.  They have hired Elizabeth Grout as the Regional Administrator overseeing this program onsite in Maine and are in the process of hiring more employees to staff offices in Aroostook and Hancock Counties.  In late August, Brenda Lee Soto of PathStone-Puerto Rico and AFOP Workforce Development Director Kendra Moesle joined Jeff and Elizabeth in Portland, ME, to provide orientation and training.

“We thank the U.S. Department of Labor for recognizing our dedication and expertise in delivering these services and meeting these workers’ needs,” Lewis said.  “We are grateful to be able to provide the necessary services for agricultural workers and employers in the state of Maine.”

Read more

CET Helps Farmworker Mom Obtain a Better Life

Center for Employment Training

 
Imagine yourself, rising at 4:00 a.m., getting your husband and children ready for the day, then commuting two hours each way for training, Monday through Friday, whilst pregnant with your third child.  This is the path Janie set forth daily as she left her family home in Dos Palos on course to Salinas in search of her better tomorrow.

Reflecting on her early years, Janie states that ever since her teens, she had been stuck earning minimum wage at seasonal general labor jobs.  After several years of meaningless work, Janie decided it was time to set her vision on attaining stable employment in a professional setting.  Unfortunately, she found that everywhere she applied she was turned down due to lack of experience.

When Janie heard about CET, she enrolled in classes.  Two months in, however, the toll of attending training full-time caused such a financial hardship for her family that Janie was unsure she would be able to follow through with the commitment.  Janie shared her struggle with her instructor, with the intent of notifying him she would have to withdraw.  Her instructor and CET staff worked together to inform Janie of the availability of supportive services and helped her navigate through the process of applying for assistance.  With that help, Janie was able to stay in training and continue her journey toward her dreams of a better life for her and her family.

Read more

Farmworkers

Agricultural Upgrade Training Supports Employers, Workers

Employment & Training Reporter
September 13, 2021

 
In a tight labor market, offering targeted agricultural upgrade training opportunities can be a way to engage growers and improve the wages and career opportunities of farmworkers.  So suggested Nita D’Agostino, Senior Vice President for PathStone Corporation, who led a virtual workshop on agricultural upgrades in terms of the farmworker program on behalf of the Employment and Training Administration.
 
The NFJP is often thought of as an initiative that helps connect farmworkers to jobs through employment and training services, and provides related assistance, such as worker safety training, housing and emergency assistance.  Local NFJP projects commonly offer training opportunities for farmworkers to enter other, higher-paying industries and occupations.
 
But one part of the program’s stated purpose explains that services can include upgrading a worker’s employment in agriculture. This is according to program regulations at 20 CFR 685.100.  Projects can benefit farmworkers and growers by doing more agricultural upgrade training, though Ms. D’Agostino encouraged approaching this strategy with care and commitment from employers to offer new opportunities to farmworkers.
 
View the recorded webinar here.

NAWS Releases New Report on Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker Trends

U.S. DOLETA
August 12, 2021

 
The National Agricultural Workers Survey (NAWS) – one of the primary bodies of research that DOL draws from to determine its NFJP formula allocations – has published a new report:  Findings from the National Agricultural Workers Survey (NAWS) 2017-2018.  It is the 14th in a series that began in 1988.  This most recent report summarizes results from interviews with farmworkers conducted from 2017-2018.  Interestingly, it shows that fewer workers migrated than ever, and that more farmworkers were hired through a foreign labor contractor than ever, too.  Furthermore, 63% of farmworkers reported having work authorization, up from 51% in the previous survey, Research Report No. 13, published in January 2018.

Read more
A truck rolls through nut trees almost ready for harvest near Cantua Creek, Calif. (Tomas Ovalle / LA Times)


Drought Has Farmworkers Dreaming of Escape from California's Breadbasket

Los Angeles Times
September 5, 2021

 
For decades, farm labor has kept unincorporated communities alive throughout the Central Valley. But the drought is making it hard to stay. The dearth of essential resources — clean water, adequate housing and fair employment wages — has crippled towns that are easily overlooked and triggered a slow exodus to bigger places.
 
In the Cantua Creek area, where pistachio and almond crops reign, some families are grappling with what’s next. Faced with a confluence of challenges, some are leaving; others are arguing over whether they should. Still others are determined to make it work here.

“They don’t know what to pinpoint but they’ll say, ‘We know something is wrong, but we don’t know what it is,” said Chucho Mendoza, an environmental and public health advocate who has worked with migrants and small farming families in the Central Valley for 25 years. “Those who leave move to the next town but don’t realize hell is a lot bigger.”

Read more

Farmworker Children

CIFC Art & Essay Contest Winners Announced

AFOP
August 31, 2021

 
AFOP’s Children in the Fields Campaign (CIFC) has announced the winners of this year’s Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker Children Art & Essay Contest.  The theme for this year was “WE ARE THE HARVEST OF HOPE: WE WILL CHANGE THE WORLD |  Somos cosecha de esperanza: Cambiaremos el mundo.”  There were four 1st-prize winners in each category, each of whom won a small scholarship, and 13-year-old Emily Camacho was the fortunate winner of the grand prize – a free tablet.

Emily’s prize-winning essay was titled, “A Harvest of Our Own.”  Here is an excerpt from her essay:

“When a farmer begins planting his harvest, he has set hopes that it will flourish, that his hard work, early mornings and late nights will pay off.  Each year however, unknowingly our parents are farmers of their own.  From birth they plant a seed of hope, perseverance, hard work, sacrifice, ambition and yearn to succeed in us because for them “we are the harvest of hope:  we will change the world.”

Watch the announcement here.

College:  “It was a Constant Mental Battle”

Janet Dominguez, AFOP
July 1, 2021

 
During her time with AFOP this past summer, NMSHSA intern Janet Dominguez wrote about her experience entering college as an MSFW Youth.  “When I left Mountain Home and moved to Moscow, Idaho, to begin my undergraduate career, was the most difficult time of my life,” she wrote. “Even though all of my older siblings attended college, none of them had ever attended a four-year institution or been further than a couple hours from home.”

She explained that it wasn’t just the initial days that were hard; she also began to experience “imposter syndrome” as she pursued her dream of becoming a dentist.   “The further I advanced in my courses, the fewer people of color – and even fewer women of color- I came across. There were times I’d question whether I should even be there. I doubted my abilities on a daily basis, wondering whether I was striving for a goal that was too far from reach.”

Janet is not alone in her experience.  In fact, many MSFW Youth feel exactly the same way.  Read more to find out how Janet overcame her fears and successfully graduated.

Read more

FARMWORKER HEALTH & SAFETY

Photo Credit:  2021 TIME USA, LLC
 

Rising Heat Is Making It Harder to Work in the U.S., and the Challenge is not Distributed Evenly

TIME
August 31, 2021

 
Rising extreme heat will make it increasingly hard for workers to do their jobs, shaving hundreds of billions of dollars off the U.S. economy each year. That’s according to a report published recently by the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center, a Washington D.C.-based think tank focused on climate adaptation. It’s a stark warning about the costs of failing to act on climate change.
 
Heat’s impact on work is not distributed equally among the U.S. population. Black and Hispanic workers tend to live in parts of the country that are more exposed to heat, and they face worse working conditions with less protection from heat; in 2020 they lost around 1.3% of their productivity due to heat, compared to a 1.1% loss for non-Hispanic white workers.

The industries most affected by extreme heat are construction and agriculture, where workers are most exposed. By 2050, construction is projected to lose 3.5% of its total annual economic activity to heat ($1.2 billion per year), while agriculture, where falling crop yields are also a factor, would lose 3.7% ($130.7 million per year).

Read more
A farmer operates a tractor spraying pesticide in San Joaquin County, Calif. Photo: Inga Spence/Alamy
 

EPA Takes Action to Address Risk from Chlorpyrifos and Protect Children’s Health

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
August 18, 2021

 
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that it will ban the use on food crops of the pesticide chlorpyrifos, which has been linked to health problems in children, particularly children of migrant and seasonal farmworkers.  As previously reported in the May 2021 Newsline, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ordered EPA to ban chlorpyrifos April 29th, or else retain only those uses it can find safe for workers and children. The court gave the agency 60 days from the end of the case to revoke the tolerances.

The decision is a victory for environmental activists who have fought to stop the use of the chemical that is applied to crops ranging from corn and soybeans to Brussels sprouts and broccoli.  Farmworker Justice, who fought long and hard for the ban alongside numerous other advocates, including AFOP, reports that the decision will take effect in six months.  However, the ban means that few companies will want to purchase it now.

Read more

IMMIGRATION

House Build Back Better Legislation to Carry Farmworker Green Card Provision

Farmworker Justice
September 12, 2021

 
The House Judiciary Committee has released its proposed sections on immigration for the budget reconciliation bill that include a program allowing undocumented workers in occupations designated as essential during the pandemic, including food and agriculture, to apply for green cards.  There is also a program for Dreamers and those with temporary protected status (TPS) or deferred enforced departure (DED).

Green Cards for Farmworkers and other Essential Workers
  • Requires continuous physical presence in the U.S. since January 1, 2021; and
  • Requires a "consistent record of earned income" in an occupation described in the Aug 10, 2021 DHS memo titled ‘Advisory Memorandum on Identification of Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers During COVID–19 Response,' during the period beginning on January 31, 2020, and ending on August 24, 2021.
  • Essential workers that fit under the DHS definition are those who perform a range of operations and services the government deems essential to continued critical infrastructure operations, such as staffing, maintaining, and repairing operations and supply chains. It includes farm workers, healthcare workers, first responders, culinary workers, domestic workers, home care workers, janitors, food processors and deliverers, and others that are specifically delineated in the DHS memo.
Unlike the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, the proposed reconciliation bill provides a legalization program for undocumented farmworkers without making changes to the H-2A visa program, which is a positive development.  If the House Judiciary Committee and the House as a whole were to pass this bill as written, the question remains whether the Senate Parliamentarian would allow it to remain in the final bill due to the strict rules on budget reconciliation bills.  The House Members reportedly have been in discussions with Senators and the Parliamentarian while drafting these provisions.

INSIDE DOL

DOL Seeks to Recognize Essential Workers, Submit Your Stories Here

U.S. Department of Labor
September 6, 2021

 
To recognize their sacrifices and ceaseless efforts to protect our health and keep our country moving forward amid the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. Department of Labor announced on September 6th, 2021, the induction of Essential Workers of the Coronavirus Pandemic into the department’s Hall of Honor. 
 
In addition to their induction, DOL is also inviting people across the nation to submit the names, stories and pictures of essential workers who have helped or inspired them during the pandemic.  The department will review submissions and incorporate them into online communications and Hall of Honor induction materials.  This is a great way to highlight your organization’s great work during these difficult times.
 
“We can’t induct every essential worker by name, so we’re inviting everyone to tell us about workers they want to recognize,” said Secretary Walsh. “We look forward to sharing these stories as part of our Hall of Honor induction celebration.”
 
Submit your stories here.
Image Credit:  Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
 

US Department of Labor, Mexican Government Renew Agreements

USDOL Bureau of International Affairs (ILAB)
September 2, 2021


U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh and Ambassador of Mexico to the United States Esteban Moctezuma led a ceremony on September 2nd, 2021, to renew collaboration agreements between the Government of Mexico and the Government of the United States, for the protection of the rights of Mexican workers in this country. 

The signing of these agreements included a joint declaration in which both governments expressed their intention to continue strengthening their cooperative relationships to promote a better understanding of U.S. labor laws and practices among Mexican workers and their employers. Likewise, agreements were renewed with the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Wage and Hour Division, the National Relations Board Labor and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

“I think of all the Mexican and Mexican-American essential workers who have at great risk to themselves helped keep us safe, healthy and fed during the pandemic,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh. ”Today we renew agreements that help ensure all workers in the United States have the right to full payment of wages and a safe place to work. We commit to making sure that Mexican workers know their rights and employers know their responsibilities under U.S. law.”

Read more
Photo credit: iStock
 

North Carolina Farm Labor Contractor Violates Federal Law

USDOL Employment & Training Administration (ETA)
August 4, 2021

 
Jose Gracia Harvesting Inc., a North Carolina farm labor contractor that hired temporary workers to pick and pack melons in southern Delaware, violated federal law when it employed them in jobs not listed in its application to hire foreign guest workers, failed to provide required kitchen facilities or meals, paid insufficient wages, and housed workers in overcrowded living quarters.  DOL’s Wage & Hour Division (WHD) investigated the case, which led to a settlement of $13,996 in back wages to 47 workers to resolve the wage violations, as well as a $6,861 civil penalty.
 
“Farmworkers are among the nation’s most essential workers and unfortunately some of the most vulnerable to unfair and unsafe labor practices,” said Wage and Hour Division District Director Jim Cain in Philadelphia.  “This investigation underscores the department’s commitment to using any and all enforcement strategies at our disposal to protect the rights of these employees, and to level the playing field for employers who obey the law. Other employers should use the outcome of this investigation as an opportunity to review their own practices to make sure they comply with the law, and avoid violations like those found in this case.”
 
Read more

COVID-19 and NFJP

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks about his plan to beat COVID-19 | Reuters
 

Are NFJP Grantees Covered by the Biden Administration’s New COVID-19 Protocol?

AFOP
September 10, 2021

 
AFOP is working hard to get a definitive answer to that question.  We see that the protocol applies to government contractors, but does that mean grantees, too?  We don’t know yet for certain. 

Here’s some information about what to expect in the coming weeks:
  • September 24, 2021: the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force will issue its guidance/draft clause;
  • October 8, 2021: contracting agencies shall take steps to include the clause in contracts entered into on or after October 15, 2021 that are not covered by the Federal Acquisition Regulation;
  • October 15, 2021: the date when the clause should begin appearing in covered contracts.
 
Please follow this link for the very latest information provided by the White House.

POVERTY

Getty/Robert Nickelsberg
 

Using Holistic, Multigenerational Strategies to Alleviate Poverty

Center on American Progress
August 12, 2021

 
The Center on American Progress (CAP) recently wrote a report urging policy makers to consider that, because the impacts of poverty can be felt over multiple generations, approaching poverty as a generational crisis is imperative. Thus, policymakers and practitioners need to employ multigenerational approaches to poverty alleviation that seek positive outcomes for entire families, simultaneously addressing the unique needs of parents, caregivers, and children.

In order to achieve this goal, CAP recommended concrete steps be taken, such as further federal government investment in family stability supports, modernized safety net programs that would be automatically triggered in an emergency, and higher quality jobs with good pay and benefits.  Furthermore, it urged that racial inequities in America’s public systems and institutions be addressed, and that state and local governments consider how they leverage federal investments with state and local funding to maximize family security and economic mobility.

Read more

New Child Tax Credit Tool Makes It Easy To Sign Up

Forbes Magazine
September 8, 2021

 
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released an online tool, GetCTC.org, to help families sign up for monthly child tax credit payments. The new collaboration with Code for America, an organization that works with government and other agencies to deliver equitable and accessible tools, is the IRS’s latest effort to reach millions by ensuring families register for monthly payments.

The payments are part of the American Rescue Plan, a $1.9 trillion package that increased the 2021 child tax credit from $2,000 to $3,600. The bill also allowed families the option to receive half of their 2021 child tax credit in the form of monthly payments from July 15 to Dec. 15.

GetCTC.org is a mobile-friendly tool with a bilingual feature to reach a larger population.

Read more

USDA Announces Important SNAP Benefit Modernization

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
August 26, 2021

 
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced August 16 that it has updated the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP), which is used to set the amount of food assistance people participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) receive, to more accurately reflect the cost of a healthy diet. Congress directed USDA to undertake this science-driven update to the TFP in the bipartisan 2018 farm bill. This long-overdue update is an important step toward better aligning SNAP benefit levels with the program’s mission of increasing food security and reducing hunger.

Until now, the Thrifty Food Plan had been adjusted only for inflation since the 1970s, even as our understanding of what constitutes a healthy diet changed. That’s left SNAP benefits badly out of line with the most recent dietary recommendations and the economic realities most struggling households face when trying to buy and prepare healthy foods. This revision, however, established a plan that meets current dietary guidelines and reflects a variety of foods that are commonly consumed by U.S. households while still requiring households to economize on their food purchases. The result is a Thrifty Food Plan that includes a greater variety of fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and seafood than in the past, which costs more than prior highly unrealistic food plans.
 
Read the full (8 pp.) report.

GRANT FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

COVID Relief for Farmworkers and Meatpacking Workers

U.S. Department of Agriculture
September 7, 2021

 
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that $700 million in competitive grant funding will be available through the new Farm and Food Workers Relief (FFWR) grant program to help farmworkers and meatpacking workers with pandemic-related health and safety costs. The new program is funded by the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 and is part of USDA’s Build Back Better efforts to respond and recover from the pandemic.

USDA encourages grant applications that demonstrate trusted communications networks with farmworkers, meatpacking workers, and/or front-line grocery workers, as well as strong financial controls.  Eligible entities must demonstrate the capacity to reimburse farmworkers and meatpacking workers for up to $600 for expenses incurred due to the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.  The Request for Application (RFA) will be announced in early Fall and will be open for 60 days.

The full press release is here.
Image Credit:  House Energy & Commerce Committee
 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):  Brownfields Job Training Grant Program

Reuters
August 18, 2021

 
The Environment Protection Agency is currently soliciting applications from eligible entities, including nonprofit organizations, to deliver Brownfields Job Training programs that recruit, train, and place local, unemployed and under-employed residents with the skills needed to secure full-time employment in the environmental field. While Brownfields Job Training Grants require training in brownfield assessment and/or cleanup activities, these grants also require that Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) training be provided to all individuals being trained.

EPA has identified $3,000,000 for investment in a projected 15 awards.  Applications are due by November 15, 2021. The solicitation is available here by selecting “Related Documents” from the menu.  EPA hosted an outreach webinar for prospective applicants on August 10, 2021. A recording of the outreach webinar is available here.

Read more

WHAT WE’RE READING

States Should Improve Transparency and Quality of Credentials for an Equitable Recovery

National Skills Coalition
August 5, 2021

 
People need clear and reliable information about their educational options. And, they also need to know how to navigate these options. It’s no mystery why: there are nearly 1,000,000 unique credentials issued in the U.S. and more than 50,000 training providers and community colleges that offer credentials. Good data is about equity: it helps students, working adults, and people undergoing career transitions select a path that’s likely to lead to career success.  Good data shines a light on what training programs will help them succeed in growing industries. Data helps people understand which credentials will help them upgrade their skills to find work in the new economy.
 
Creating an impact with Credential Quality and Transparency is a state policy toolkit that illustrates how states can use the quality non-degree credential framework (outlined by National Skills Coalition) and the linked open data network, common description language, and publishing platform created by Credential Engine to improve credential quality and transparency.

Read more
Chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. | Lawrence Jackson—Official White House Photo
 

House Bill Takes Major Steps Forward for Children, Low-Paid Workers

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
September 11, 2021

 
House Ways and Means Committee Chair Richard Neal released a bill on September 10th to extend the American Rescue Plan’s increase in the Child Tax Credit amount and its provision as a monthly payment through 2025, while making the full Child Tax Credit permanently available to children in families with the lowest incomes — which is the main driver of the policy’s anti-poverty impact. The expansion in the Child Tax Credit would result in a landmark reduction in poverty, reducing the number of children with incomes below the poverty line by more than 40 percent. The expansion would have particularly large impacts on Black and Latino children and children in rural communities — about half of children in these groups received only a partial credit or no credit at all because their incomes were too low prior to the Rescue Plan expansion. The Child Tax Credit expansion would help narrow gaping racial disparities in child poverty rates.

The bill would also make permanent the Rescue Plan’s expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for adults not raising children at home who work for low pay, largely preventing 5.8 million of them from once again being taxed into, or deeper into, poverty, while helping 17 million adults with low earnings make ends meet.

These are historic policy advances that should remain in the legislation throughout the process and become law. They would promote lifelong opportunity by better protecting children from the damaging effects of poverty and hardship and would largely end the practice of taxing childless adults into or deeper into poverty. In particular, permanently extending the provision that ensures that children in families with the lowest incomes no longer receive less help from the credit than children in families with middle incomes would bring us closer to the ultimate goal of making the landmark full expansion — including the increase in the credit amount — permanent.

Read the full (10 pp.) report.

Americans for Tax Fairness Targets “Billionaires Loophole”

Americans for Tax Fairness
September 8, 2021


Corporate and dark money special interests have launched a lobbying blitz against the tax increases on the wealthy and corporations in President Biden’s and the Democrats’ $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation plan. One of their chief targets is preventing the billionaires’ “stepped-up basis” loophole from being closed.

It’s important to remember that closing this billionaire’s loophole is likely the only way billionaires like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk will pay a penny more in taxes on their enormous wealth gains when they get passed onto their heirs. If we don’t close the billionaires stepped-up basis loophole, we’ll forfeit $325 billion in revenue for investments in working families, and billionaires likely won’t see their extraordinary wealth growth over the years taxed one penny.

Watch the video on YouTube.

Read more
The AFOP Washington Newsline (ISSN# 1056-8565) is produced by the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs (AFOP), a national federation of agencies serving migrant and seasonal farmworkers. AFOP’s mission is to improve the quality of life for migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their families by promoting self-sufficiency through employment and training opportunities, educational attainment, and health and safety.

The publication is funded by subscriptions and the members of AFOP. The Washington Newsline receives no financial support from the federal government. Staff may be reached by calling (202) 963-3200.
Share
Share
Tweet
Forward
Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs

1150 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 315
Washington, D.C. 20036

Direct: (202) 963-3200
Website: www.afop.org

Unsubscribe   or  Update Subscription Preferences 
 






This email was sent to <<Email Address>>
why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences
Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs · 1120 20th Street, N.W. · Suite 300 South · Washington, DC 20036 · USA

Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp