Budget Beat

October 15, 2021 by WVCBP
Scaling Back the Build Back Better Agenda Would Mean Nearly 10,000 Fewer Jobs Supported in West Virginia

Senator Joe Manchin has recently called for the budget reconciliation package currently being negotiated in Congress to be cut from $3.5 trillion to $1.5 trillion over 10 years. The Build Back Better agenda, combining the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework and the proposed $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation package, is estimated to support more than 4 million jobs annually, including over 17,000…

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October 1, 2021 by WVCBP
The Cost of Inaction is Too High: Senator Manchin Must Support Robust Budget Reconciliation Package That Centers West Virginians’ Needs

Senator Joe Manchin sits at the center of the Build Back Better Act negotiations currently taking place in Washington. The WVCBP strongly urges him to recognize the urgency of our state’s needs and move quickly to support workers and families in West Virginia. We agree that Congress must pass the bipartisan infrastructure bill, but we know…

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September 24, 2021 by WVCBP
It’s Crunch Time to Secure a Critical Budget Package That Broadly Benefits West Virginians, Invests in Workers and Families

Over the next week, Congress and West Virginia's federal delegation are expected to make major decisions on the elements of the budget reconciliation package. This period will determine whether critical worker and family supports are passed in tandem with a hard infrastructure package. Congress acted swiftly to enact pandemic relief because we raised our voices…

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September 17, 2021 by WVCBP
West Virginia’s Unemployment Rate is Back to Normal, but the Economy is Far From Recovered for Everyone

While the newest jobs numbers indicate that some areas of West Virginia’s economy are recovering, the job market is far from pre-pandemic levels and employment gains have not been equally distributed. Further, increasing COVID-19 cases remain a threat to workers’ health and the economy. While the state has seen relatively steady job growth in recent…

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September 10, 2021 by WVCBP
Racial Divisions Distract the Working Class from the Real Problem

Racism has long been weaponized in order to divide workers, but unions have the unique power to bring people with varying identities together. The time has come for the working class to form a united front once again. One of the greatest weapons that individual workers have against companies and corporations is unity. Class solidarity…

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September 3, 2021 by WVCBP
Federal Relief Programs Cut Poverty in West Virginia by 71 Percent

Thanks to the programs enacted through COVID-related federal relief legislation this past year, an estimated 301,000 fewer West Virginians were living in poverty this year than would have been otherwise, a reduction of 71 percent, according to an analysis from the Urban Institute estimating the state’s Supplemental Poverty Measure. The Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) measures poverty after taking into…

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August 27, 2021 by WVCBP
State of Working West Virginia 2021: Labor, Race, and Solidarity

State of Working West Virginia 2021: Labor, Race, and Solidarity is out now! The 14th edition of the WVCBP's State of Working West Virginia series explores the interrelated declines of worker power and economic equality in the Mountain State. The report was written in three parts. Part 1 examines the economic transition that took place in…

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August 20, 2021 by WVCBP
American Rescue Plan Act’s Education Funds Can Address Inequity in West Virginia’s Public Schools

It is no question that students in West Virginia and across the country suffered academic losses in connection to COVID-19’s impacts on instruction and learning time. Our new issue brief explores how American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) education funds can be utilized to address these losses, as well as longstanding challenges and racial inequity in West Virginia…

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