<p>Founded in 2007 by former Senate Majority Leaders Howard Baker, Tom Daschle, Bob Dole and George Mitchell, Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) is a non-profit organization that drives principled solutions through rigorous analysis, reasoned negotiation and respectful dialogue. With projects in multiple issue areas, BPC combines politically balanced policymaking with strong, proactive advocacy and outreach.</p>


Bipartisan Policy Center

<p>New Mexico and Alabama have defied expectations within the realm of early childhood policy. These two states adopted bold plans to expand access to quality early care and learning to all children and drive economic development with innovation, accountability, and local investments. Panelists will outline the blueprints New Mexico and Alabama set for incremental, bipartisan policy change to support families and employers.</p><h2>Participants</h2><ul><li><strong>Jason Sabo</strong> | Founder, Frontera Strategy</li><li><strong>Gail Piggott</strong> | Executive Director; Alabama Partnership for Children</li><li><strong>Rob Black</strong> | President &amp; CEO; New Mexico Chamber of Commerce</li></ul><h3>Moderator</h3><p><strong>Linda K. Smith</strong> | Director, Early Childhood Initiative, BPC</p>

Tale of Two States: Transforming Child Care in New Mexico and Alabama

<p>The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program is the largest and most significant affordable housing program in the United States. Since its inception in 1987, LIHTC has supported the construction or rehabilitation of about 110,000 affordable rental units per year, providing more than 3 million affordable units for low-income families. Since 1990, the federal government has required LIHTC developments to keep units affordable for a minimum of 30 years. Estimates find that nearly half a million current LIHTC units—representing nearly a quarter of the total stock—will reach their 30-year mark by the end of this decade.</p><p>With thousands of units across the country already phasing out of this standard, more resources will be needed to maintain and expand the number of affordable homes available to low-income renters. In this webinar, panelists will provide context on the scale of LIHTC affordability phaseouts in coming years, discuss strategies to preserve affordable units for longer time periods or in perpetuity, and highlight bipartisan proposals to strengthen LIHTC.</p><h3>Featured Speakers</h3><ul><li><strong>Emily Cadik</strong> | CEO, Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition | <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/EmilyCadik">@EmilyCadik</a></li><li><strong>Gerald Hunter</strong> | President and Executive Director, IHFA | <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/IdahoHousing">@IdahoHousing</a></li><li><strong>Chrystal Kornegay</strong> | Executive Director, MassHousing | <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/MassHousing">@MassHousing</a></li><li><strong>Francis Torres</strong> | Senior Policy Analyst, BPC (Moderator) | <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/francis_to_go">@francis_to_go</a></li></ul>

<p>The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program is the largest and most significant affordable housing program in the United States. Since its inception in 1987, LIHTC has supported the construction or rehabilitation of about 110,000 affordable rental units per year, providing more than 3 million affordable units for low-income families. Since 1990, the federal government has required LIHTC developments to keep units affordable for a minimum of 30 years. Estimates find that nearly half a million current LIHTC units—representing nearly a quarter of the total stock—will reach their 30-year mark by the end of this decade.</p><p>With thousands of units across the country already phasing out of this standard, more resources will be needed to maintain and expand the number of affordable homes available to low-income renters. In this webinar, panelists will provide context on the scale of LIHTC affordability phaseouts in coming years, discuss strategies to preserve affordable units for longer time periods or in perpetuity, and highlight bipartisan proposals to strengthen LIHTC.</p><h3>Featured Speakers</h3><ul><li><strong>Emily Cadik</strong> | CEO, Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition | <a href="https://twitter.com/EmilyCadik">@EmilyCadik</a></li><li><strong>Gerald Hunter</strong> | President and Executive Director, IHFA | <a href="https://twitter.com/IdahoHousing">@IdahoHousing</a></li><li><strong>Chrystal Kornegay</strong> | Executive Director, MassHousing | <a href="https://twitter.com/MassHousing">@MassHousing</a></li><li><strong>Francis Torres</strong> | Senior Policy Analyst, BPC (Moderator) | <a href="https://twitter.com/francis_to_go">@francis_to_go</a></li></ul>

Low-Income Housing Tax Credits and Long-Term Affordability

<p>The banking crisis and persistent inflation have escalated concerns over the economic health of American small businesses. Indicators suggest potential contractions of credit to small businesses and a possible weakening in hiring. But how are small businesses doing, really?</p><p>The new Shopify Entrepreneurship Index shows that even in these uncertain times, entrepreneurs continue to have a positive economic impact across the country when it comes to jobs, GDP, and business activity. Join BPC for a discussion on what the latest data on small business says and how federal policymakers can help shore up confidence among small business owners and entrepreneurs.</p><h2>SPEAKERS</h2><h3>Fireside chat with:</h3><ul><li>Rep. <strong>Marc Molinaro</strong> (R-NY)</li><li>Rep. <strong>Marie Gluesenkamp Perez</strong> (D-WA)</li><li><strong>Michele Nellenbach</strong> | Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, BPC (Moderator)</li></ul><h3>Panel discussion with:</h3><ul><li><strong>Erin Pelton</strong> | Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs, Shopify</li><li><strong>Anika Hobbs</strong> | Founder, Nubian Hueman</li><li><strong>John Dearie</strong> | President, Center for American Entrepreneurship</li><li><strong>Rachel Snyderman</strong> | Senior Associate Director, BPC (Moderator)</li></ul>

<p>The banking crisis and persistent inflation have escalated concerns over the economic health of American small businesses. Indicators suggest potential contractions of credit to small businesses and a possible weakening in hiring. But how are small businesses doing, really?</p><p>The new Shopify Entrepreneurship Index shows that even in these uncertain times, entrepreneurs continue to have a positive economic impact across the country when it comes to jobs, GDP, and business activity. Join BPC for a discussion on what the latest data on small business says and how federal policymakers can help shore up confidence among small business owners and entrepreneurs.</p><h2>SPEAKERS</h2><h3>Fireside chat with:</h3><p>&nbsp;</p><ul><li>Rep. <strong>Marc Molinaro</strong> (R-NY)</li><li>Rep. <strong>Marie Gluesenkamp Perez</strong> (D-WA)</li><li><strong>Michele Nellenbach</strong> | Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, BPC (Moderator)</li></ul><h3>Panel discussion with:</h3><p>&nbsp;</p><ul><li><strong>Erin Pelton</strong> | Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs, Shopify</li><li><strong>Anika Hobbs</strong> | Founder, Nubian Hueman</li><li><strong>John Dearie</strong> | President, Center for American Entrepreneurship</li><li><strong>Rachel Snyderman</strong> | Senior Associate Director, BPC (Moderator)</li></ul>

Pulse Check: How Small Businesses Perform Amid Economic Uncertainty

<p>The 2023 Social Security Trustees’ Report underscores a fact we have known for decades: <a target="_blank" href="https://bipartisanpolicy.org/blog/2023-ss-trustees-report/">Social Security’s finances are on an unsustainable path.</a></p><p>“… policymakers must address the financial sustainability of the Medicare program,” <a target="_blank" href="https://bipartisanpolicy.org/press-release/three-more-years-of-solvency-for-medicare/">said BPC Senior Vice President Bill Hoagland</a>. “America’s population is rapidly aging, health care costs continue to rise, and combined, both will continue to increase Medicare’s financial obligations.”</p><p>With still no resolution to the debt ceiling standoff, growing concern about our standing in the global economy and the threat of recession, join BPC fellows Jim Capretta and Warren Payne for the second in our series of conversations with leading conservative voices about Republican priorities in a divided government. Panelists will discuss the debt ceiling, reducing federal deficits, trade, health care, and more.</p><h2>Featured Speakers</h2><ul><li><strong>Jim Capretta</strong> | Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute and BPC Fellow</li><li><strong>Warren Payne</strong> | Senior Advisor, Mayer Brown and BPC Fellow</li><li><strong>Jason Fichtner</strong> | Vice President and Chief Economist, BPC (Moderator)</li></ul>

<p>The 2023 Social Security Trustees’ Report underscores a fact we have known for decades: <a href="https://bipartisanpolicy.org/blog/2023-ss-trustees-report/">Social Security’s finances are on an unsustainable path.</a></p><blockquote><p>“… policymakers must address the financial sustainability of the Medicare program,” <a href="https://bipartisanpolicy.org/press-release/three-more-years-of-solvency-for-medicare/">said BPC Senior Vice President Bill Hoagland</a>. “America’s population is rapidly aging, health care costs continue to rise, and combined, both will continue to increase Medicare’s financial obligations.”</p></blockquote><p>With still no resolution to the debt ceiling standoff, growing concern about our standing in the global economy and the threat of recession, join BPC fellows Jim Capretta and Warren Payne for the second in our series of conversations with leading conservative voices about Republican priorities in a divided government. Panelists will discuss the debt ceiling, reducing federal deficits, trade, health care, and more.</p><h2>Featured Speakers</h2><ul><li><strong>Jim Capretta</strong> | Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute and BPC Fellow</li><li><strong>Warren Payne</strong> | Senior Advisor, Mayer Brown and BPC Fellow</li><li><strong>Jason Fichtner</strong> | Vice President and Chief Economist, BPC (Moderator)</li></ul>

Divided Government: A Discussion on Debt, Deficits, and Divisions

<p>A recent Bipartisan Policy Center poll found that Americans recognize increased access to highly skilled legal immigration as a key element to growing the economy and bolstering U.S. competitiveness. But competing views—concerns over immigration and support for comprehensive immigration reform—showcase why reforming the U.S. immigration system is so challenging.</p><p>As Congress looks to bolster national competitiveness, join us for a discussion on high-skilled immigration and its role in supporting economic and technological competitiveness. The panel will explore U.S. interests in recruiting and retaining skilled workers from around the world and how these efforts would strengthen strategic innovation, national competitiveness, and the national security industrial base.</p><h2>SPEAKERS</h2><h3>Introduction</h3><ul><li><strong>Ben Gitis</strong> | Associate Director, Economic Policy Program, BPC</li></ul><h3>Panelists</h3><ul><li><strong>Kai Hirabayashi&nbsp;</strong>| Senior Manager, Public Policy, Amazon</li><li><strong>Divyansh Kaushik</strong> | Associate Director, Federation of American Scientists</li><li><strong>Margaret Stock</strong> | Attorney, Cascadia Cross-Border Law Group</li><li><strong>Dane Stangler</strong> | Director of Strategic Initiatives, BPC</li></ul><h3>Moderator</h3><ul><li><strong>Theresa Cardinal Brown</strong> | Senior Advisor for Immigration and Border Policy, BPC</li></ul>

National Security and Competitiveness: Can Skilled Immigration Help?

<p>This year’s&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.ssa.gov/oact/TRSUM/">Social Security Trustees Report</a>&nbsp;confirms the urgent need for Congress to enact comprehensive Social Security reform or risk jeopardizing the future of America’s retirees. It’s now projected that the program’s primary trust fund will deplete its reserves in 2033, one year earlier than last year’s projection, at which time all beneficiaries will see their benefits cut by nearly 25%.</p><p>Join the Bipartisan Policy Center and the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://fundingourfuture.us/">Funding Our Future</a>&nbsp;coalition as we speak with the Social Security Administration’s Chief Actuary&nbsp;<strong>Stephen Goss</strong>&nbsp;about the program’s solvency challenge. BPC Vice President and Chief Economist&nbsp;<strong>Jason Fichtner</strong>&nbsp;will also welcome Senator&nbsp;<strong>Bill Cassidy</strong>&nbsp;(R-LA) to discuss the legislative landscape and bipartisan solutions needed to sustain and strengthen the program for decades to come.</p><h2><strong>SPEAKERS</strong></h2><h3>Introduction</h3><ul><li><strong>Lettie Nocera</strong>&nbsp;| Senior Manager, Funding Our Future</li></ul><h3>Keynote</h3><ul><li><strong>Stephen Goss</strong>&nbsp;| Chief Actuary, Social Security Administration</li></ul><h3>Fireside Chat</h3><ul><li><strong>Bill Cassidy</strong>&nbsp;| U.S. Senator, R-Louisiana</li><li><strong>Jason Fichtner</strong>&nbsp;| Chief Economist, BPC (Moderator)</li></ul>

<p>This year’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ssa.gov/oact/TRSUM/">Social Security Trustees Report</a>&nbsp;confirms the urgent need for Congress to enact comprehensive Social Security reform or risk jeopardizing the future of America’s retirees. It’s now projected that the program’s primary trust fund will deplete its reserves in 2033, one year earlier than last year’s projection, at which time all beneficiaries will see their benefits cut by nearly 25%.</p><p>Join the Bipartisan Policy Center and the&nbsp;<a href="https://fundingourfuture.us/">Funding Our Future</a>&nbsp;coalition as we speak with the Social Security Administration’s Chief Actuary&nbsp;<strong>Stephen Goss</strong>&nbsp;about the program’s solvency challenge. BPC Vice President and Chief Economist&nbsp;<strong>Jason Fichtner</strong>&nbsp;will also welcome Senator&nbsp;<strong>Bill Cassidy</strong>&nbsp;(R-LA) to discuss the legislative landscape and bipartisan solutions needed to sustain and strengthen the program for decades to come.</p><h2><strong>SPEAKERS</strong></h2><h3>Introduction</h3><ul><li><strong>Lettie Nocera</strong>&nbsp;| Senior Manager, Funding Our Future</li></ul><h3>Keynote</h3><ul><li><strong>Stephen Goss</strong>&nbsp;| Chief Actuary, Social Security Administration</li></ul><h3>Fireside Chat</h3><ul><li><strong>Bill Cassidy</strong>&nbsp;| U.S. Senator, R-Louisiana</li><li><strong>Jason Fichtner</strong>&nbsp;| Chief Economist, BPC (Moderator)</li></ul>

Can We Fix Social Security? A Discussion with Sen. Cassidy

<p>Nearly&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness">58 million adults</a>&nbsp;suffer from a mental illness but less than half receive treatment. And new&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db464.htm">CDC data</a>&nbsp;released this week shows suicide rates climbing.</p><p>Join the Bipartisan Policy Center, former U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams, and NPR’s Rhitu Chatterjee for a discussion on mental health and access to care.</p><h2><strong>SPEAKERS</strong></h2><h3>Introduction</h3><ul><li><strong>Kelly Darnell</strong>&nbsp;| Interim CEO, BPC</li></ul><h3>Fireside Chat</h3><ul><li><strong>Dr. Jerome Adams</strong>&nbsp;| Former U.S. Surgeon General; Executive Director, Health Equity Initiatives, Purdue University</li><li><strong>Rhitu Chatterjee</strong>&nbsp;| Health Correspondent, NPR (Moderator)</li></ul>

<p>Nearly&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness">58 million adults</a>&nbsp;suffer from a mental illness but less than half receive treatment. And new&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db464.htm">CDC data</a>&nbsp;released this week shows suicide rates climbing.</p><p>Join the Bipartisan Policy Center, former U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams, and NPR’s Rhitu Chatterjee for a discussion on mental health and access to care.</p><h2><strong>SPEAKERS</strong></h2><h3>Introduction</h3><ul><li><strong>Kelly Darnell</strong>&nbsp;| Interim CEO, BPC</li></ul><h3>Fireside Chat</h3><ul><li><strong>Dr. Jerome Adams</strong>&nbsp;| Former U.S. Surgeon General; Executive Director, Health Equity Initiatives, Purdue University</li><li><strong>Rhitu Chatterjee</strong>&nbsp;| Health Correspondent, NPR (Moderator)</li></ul>

State of U.S. Mental Health Featuring Dr. Jerome Adams

<p>The Bipartisan Policy Center and BPC Action invite you to a lunchtime briefing on the federal government efforts to build resilient energy supply chains. Robust supply chains for advanced energy technologies are critical to U.S. competitiveness and our nation’s energy security. Catalyzed by<a target="_blank" href="https://bipartisanpolicy.org/blog/getting-serious-about-critical-materials-the-iija-and-energy-act-of-2020/">&nbsp;recent bipartisan investments</a>&nbsp;from Congress, the Department of Energy is seeding key supply chain, critical minerals, and manufacturing projects across the country that will strengthen our nation’s ability to compete on the global stage. This briefing will highlight how Congress and DOE are&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://bipartisanpolicy.org/blog/clean-energy-supply-chain-troubles-lpo-is-here-to-help/">helping to build resilient supply chains&nbsp;</a>with perspectives from the agency, thought leaders on critical minerals, and companies on the ground leading this transition.</p><h2><strong>Featured Participants</strong></h2><h3>Opening remarks:</h3><ul><li>Rep.&nbsp;<strong>David Joyce</strong>&nbsp;(R-OH)</li></ul><h3>Panel discussion with:</h3><ul><li><strong>Jigar Shah</strong>, Director, Loan Programs Office, U.S. Department of Energy</li><li><strong>Tom Gallagher</strong>, Vice President, Operations, Ultium Cells</li><li><strong>Abby Wulf</strong>, VP and Director, Critical Minerals Strategy, Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE)</li></ul><h3>Moderated by:</h3><ul><li><strong>Sasha Mackler</strong>, Executive Director, Energy Program, BPC</li></ul>

<p>The Bipartisan Policy Center and BPC Action invite you to a lunchtime briefing on the federal government efforts to build resilient energy supply chains. Robust supply chains for advanced energy technologies are critical to U.S. competitiveness and our nation’s energy security. Catalyzed by<a href="https://bipartisanpolicy.org/blog/getting-serious-about-critical-materials-the-iija-and-energy-act-of-2020/">&nbsp;recent bipartisan investments</a>&nbsp;from Congress, the Department of Energy is seeding key supply chain, critical minerals, and manufacturing projects across the country that will strengthen our nation’s ability to compete on the global stage. This briefing will highlight how Congress and DOE are&nbsp;<a href="https://bipartisanpolicy.org/blog/clean-energy-supply-chain-troubles-lpo-is-here-to-help/">helping to build resilient supply chains&nbsp;</a>with perspectives from the agency, thought leaders on critical minerals, and companies on the ground leading this transition.</p><h2><strong>Featured Participants</strong></h2><h3>Opening remarks:</h3><ul><li>Rep.&nbsp;<strong>David Joyce</strong>&nbsp;(R-OH)</li></ul><h3>Panel discussion with:</h3><ul><li><strong>Jigar Shah</strong>, Director, Loan Programs Office, U.S. Department of Energy</li><li><strong>Tom Gallagher</strong>, Vice President, Operations, Ultium Cells</li><li><strong>Abby Wulf</strong>, VP and Director, Critical Minerals Strategy, Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE)</li></ul><h3>Moderated by:</h3><ul><li><strong>Sasha Mackler</strong>, Executive Director, Energy Program, BPC</li></ul>

BPC Innovation Series: Federal Investments in Secure Energy Supply Chains

<p>The sensitivity of the information people put online is often undervalued. For example, location data from fitness trackers or navigation systems could be used to help locate missing persons and/or as evidence in a criminal proceeding. Some recent incidents involving facial recognition and some period tracking apps raised concerns around the potential risks associated with law enforcement’s access to personal data. As the general public becomes more aware of these risks, policymakers must aim to strike a balance between ensuring that law enforcement agencies are meeting transparency, privacy, and security expectations and ensuring that law enforcement agencies have the necessary tools and safeguards to protect the diverse communities they serve.</p><p>The Bipartisan Policy Center will host a discussion on law enforcement practices for collecting and using data and federal policy approaches to it. Leading voices in the privacy and public safety fields will examine the current state of law enforcement data collection and use, the impact of emerging technologies on data privacy and public safety, and the effects of the American Data Privacy and Protection Act and other potential legislation.</p><h2>Featured Participants</h2><h3>Panelists:</h3><p><strong>Jake Parker</strong> | Senior Director of Government Relations, Security Industry Association (SIA)</p><p><strong>Gabrielle Hibbert</strong> | Adjunct Lecturer, Brandeis University; Government Affairs and Policy Officer, Least Authority</p><p><strong>Joseph Chacon</strong> | Chief of Police in Austin, Texas, representing Major Cities Chiefs Association</p><h3>Moderated by:</h3><p><strong>Tom Romanoff</strong> | Director of Technology Project, BPC</p>

Data Privacy and Law Enforcement: Balancing Rights and Responsibilities

<p>Over the past three years, BPC has conducted a series of surveys of parents with children under age five to learn about the child care challenges they face– before, during, and following the pandemic. These surveys focus on several issues, including the cost of child care and how it affects a family’s budget, the impact of COVID-19 on a parent’s work status and their child care needs, and unique child care needs of American Indian and Alaska Native and rural parents.</p><p>Join BPC on Tuesday, February 21 to review what we have learned.</p>

Parents’ Child Care Choices: What We've Learned

<p>Part four in our series on American Indian and Alaska Native early childhood programming will feature a documentary on the Salish Kootenai College Tribal Child Care Center in Pablo, MT.</p><p>In the first part of the series, Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) and Dr. Anton Truer discussed their books and set the stage for how we can improve services to AI/AN families.</p><p>In the second part of our series, we discussed sovereignty and what it means to state governments. Minnesota Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan joined Patina Parks, Director of Tribal-State relations for Minnesota Gov. Walz, and Melanie Benjamin, Chief Executive of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, to examine sovereignty from a state and Tribal government point of view.</p><p>In the third part of our series, BPC showcased three states – New Mexico, Oregon, and North Dakota – that have made Tribal relations a priority. It included how states have worked nation-to-nation with Tribal governments and steps they have taken to ensure AI/AN children in their states receive the services they need and deserve.</p>

Part IV: Tribal Child Care – The Salish Kootenai College Learning Center

<p>Today’s cybersecurity challenges impact every level of society and protecting our digital and electronic assets is critical for our nation. The Bipartisan Policy Center partnered with Equifax to convene security and privacy leaders from the public and private sectors to identify the top risks in cybersecurity for 2023. After several months of engagement, BPC is excited to release a report summarizing key findings from our effort to help policymakers address specific gaps in our nation’s preparedness.</p><p>Please join us on Monday, February 13th at the Bipartisan Policy Center as we share our research and discuss the specific risks in cybersecurity that companies, governments, and individuals will face in 2023. Several top cyber experts from our working group will attend and respond to questions.</p><h2>Featured Speakers</h2><h3>Panelists:</h3><p><strong>Jamil Farshchi</strong><br>EVP and Chief Information Security Officer, Equifax</p><p><strong>Tom Romanoff</strong><br>Director of the Technology Project, Bipartisan Policy Center</p><p><strong>Noopur Davis</strong><br>Executive Vice President and Chief Information Security and Product Privacy Officer, Comcast</p><p><i>Additional speakers to be announced.</i></p>

2023 Top Cybersecurity Risks

<p>For decades, homelessness has been a challenging policy issue across all levels of government—as well as a contentious political one. While some scholars and researchers emphasize the structural determinants of homelessness and its relation to housing markets, others frame the issue primarily in terms of safety and individual risk factors such as drug use and mental health.</p><p>As states and local communities develop new policies to address homelessness, it is imperative that key decision makers understand the interplay between homelessness and affordable housing supply. In this event, panelists will discuss the root causes of homelessness, share insights from recent policy interventions, and identify common-sense solutions that can help inform federal action.</p><h2>Speakers:</h2><p>USICH Presentation – “All In: the Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness”</p><h3>Panel Discussion:</h3><p><strong>Peggy Bailey</strong><br>VP for Income and Housing Security, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities</p><p><strong>Gregg Colburn</strong><br>Assistant Professor of Real Estate, University of Washington’s College of Built Environments</p><p><strong>Michael Tanner</strong><br>Senior Fellow, Cato Institute</p><p><strong>Marcy Thompson</strong><br>Director or Policy Initiatives, USICH</p><h3>Moderator:</h3><p><strong>Francis Torres</strong><br>Senior Policy Analyst, BPC</p>

Homelessness as a Housing Supply Problem

<p>Ensuring all Americans have equitable access to affordable, nutritious food is foundational to our nation’s health, education, national security, and economic priorities. Typically reauthorized every five years, the farm bill governs an array of food and agricultural programs. In 2023, the nutrition title is expected to comprise 84% of total farm bill spending, mostly for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the nation’s largest federal nutrition program that serves ​41 million Americans.</p><p>Join the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Food and Nutrition Security Task Force as we discuss new recommendations aimed at strengthening food and nutrition security through SNAP and other federal nutrition assistance programs.</p><p>The event will begin with a nutrition reporter and congressional staff looking ahead at the processes and priorities around the 2023 Farm Bill.</p><h2>Featured Participants</h2><h3>Introduction:</h3><p><strong>William Hoagland</strong><br>Senior Vice President, BPC</p><h3>Panelists</h3><p><strong>Jennifer Tiller</strong><br>Majority Deputy Staff Director, House Agriculture Committee</p><p><strong>Fitz Elder</strong><br>Minority Staff Director, Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee</p><h3>Moderator</h3><p><strong>Helena Bottemiller Evich</strong><br>Founder, Food Fix</p><h3>Task Force Co-Chairs:</h3><p><strong>Chef José Andrés</strong><br>Founder, World Central Kitchen</p><p><strong>Dan R. Glickman</strong><br>Former Agriculture Secretary; Senior Fellow, BPC</p><p><strong>Leslie Sarasin</strong><br>President and CEO, FMI-The Food Industry Association</p><p><strong>Ann M. Veneman</strong><br>Former Agriculture Secretary</p>

Making Food and Nutrition Security a SNAP

<p>Join BPC, the Children’s Equity Project, and Start Early on Monday, January 23 as experts highlight the promising work of Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships to date, particularly related to pandemic recovery and stabilization. Experts will offer a roadmap for states to establish and expand their own EHS-CCPs.</p>

Building Supply, Quality & Equity: Early Head Start-Child Care Partnerships

<p>As the nation emerges from the pandemic, states have reflected on the importance of an efficient governance structure serving as a critical component to effectively administer emergency funding. BPC revisits our 2018 report examining how states manage federal funding for early childhood programs to learn what structural changes states made in the intervening years.</p><p>Join us Thursday, January 12 as early care and education experts discuss BPC’s updated analysis, which includes new state rankings, and hear from states that made exceptional progress.</p>

Early Care and Education Systems: Revisiting a State-by-State Analysis

<p>Without a supply chain of critical minerals, our efforts to build a clean energy economy will fail. Can domestic mining be part of the solution, or will we remain dependent on imports, often from global adversaries? For new domestic mining to advance, it will require policy reforms, innovation, and sound environmental stewardship. Join BPC for a virtual event exploring how mining in the future can look different than the past.</p><p>The event will feature a fireside chat with Tommy Beaudreau, Deputy Secretary at the Department of the Interior, to discuss the Biden administration’s approach to domestic supply chain challenges and the Interagency Working Group on Mining Reform. Following the fireside, an expert panel will discuss innovative mining processes and steps to ensure a more environmentally and socially responsible industry.</p><h2>Featured Participants</h2><h3>Fireside Chat with:</h3><p><strong>Tommy Beaudreau</strong><br>Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of the Interior</p><p><strong>Xan Fishman</strong><br>Director of Energy Policy &amp; Carbon Management, Bipartisan Policy Center</p><h3>Panel Discussion with:</h3><p><strong>Tyre Gray</strong><br>President, Nevada Mining Association</p><p><strong>Abigail Wulfe</strong><br>Vice President and Director for Critical Minerals Strategy, Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE)</p><p><strong>Todd Malan</strong><br>Chief External Affairs Officer and Head of Climate Strategy, Talon Metals</p><h3>Moderated by:</h3><p><strong>Danny Broberg</strong><br>Senior Policy Analyst, Bipartisan Policy Center</p>

Mining in the Future

<p>Medicaid Buy-In for Workers with Disabilities programs allow individuals with disabilities to work, increase their earnings, and retain access to Medicaid’s unique services that support independent living. Our first report, released in January 2021, addressed barriers to these programs for Medicaid beneficiaries with disabilities who want to work. Now, BPC builds on that work with new federal policy recommendations that will encourage more states to cover or optimize their coverage of the MBI for Workers with Disabilities eligibility groups.</p><p>Please join BPC and a panel of experts and stakeholders to discuss the value of Medicaid Buy-In for Workers with Disabilities programs, implementation challenges, and BPC’s policy recommendations to improve opportunities for workers with disabilities.</p><h2>Featured Participants</h2><h3>Introduction:</h3><p><strong>Bill Hoagland</strong><br>Senior Vice President, BPC</p><h3>Keynote:</h3><p><strong>Kathy Hempstead</strong><br>Senior Policy Adviser, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation</p><h3>Panelists:</h3><p><strong>Annette Shea</strong><br>Consultant, Annette Shea Consulting</p><p><strong>Henry Claypool</strong><br>Policy Director, Community Living Policy Center at Brandeis University</p><p><strong>Nancy Scott</strong><br>Working Healthy Director, Kansas Department of Health and Energy</p><p><strong>Brittanie Hernandez-Wilson</strong><br>Equity and Justice Director, The Arc Minnesota</p>

Improving the Medicaid Buy-In for Workers with Disabilities

<p>Over the past year, ESG has dominated the news cycle and political debates at the federal and state levels. Republican lawmakers have raised concerns about how and by whom ESG factors are being used to make nonpecuniary business and investment-related decisions. This contrasts with institutional investors and asset managers who support ESG as a way to identify certain risks and opportunities, as well as some investors who want to generate environmental and social benefits.</p><p>With the midterm election now behind us, where does the ESG debate go from here? Join BPC as we discuss how the election results will impact the ESG debate in the 118th Congress and beyond, and why there is reason to believe areas for bipartisan consensus—such as a concern with greenwashing or the importance of “materiality” in disclosure, among others—can exist.</p><h2>Featured Participants</h2><h3>Keynote remarks by:</h3><p><strong>Rep. Bill Huizenga</strong><br>(R-MI)</p><h3>Panelists:</h3><p><strong>Robert Eccles</strong><br>Visiting Professor of Management Practice, Oxford University</p><p><strong>Daniel Crowley</strong><br>Partner, K&amp;L Gates LLP</p><p><strong>Aron Szapiro</strong><br>Head of Retirement Studies and Public Policy, Morningstar</p><h3>Moderated by:</h3><p><strong>Michele Nellenbach</strong><br>Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, BPC</p>

Where Does the ESG Debate Go from Here?

<p>Article I of the Constitution provides that Congress has primary authority to determine federal spending priorities: “No money shall be drawn from the treasury, but in consequence of appropriations made by law.” However, Congress has turned over more and more authority to the executive branch, empowering it to make decisions about which programs, projects, and communities receive funding. The 117th Congress began to turn that dynamic around when it reformed and resurrected one of its most impactful tools: congressionally directed spending.</p><p>Congressionally directed spending, also known as earmarks, allows our elected representatives to use their unique understanding of community needs to ensure priorities in their districts receive federal support.</p><p>Join BPC, the American Enterprise Institute, and experts on Congress as we assess how earmarks have been restored and how it can be improved in the future.</p><h2>Featured Speakers</h2><h3>Panel One</h3><p><strong>Zachary Courser</strong><br>Fellow, BPC</p><p><strong>Molly Reynolds</strong><br>Senior Fellow, Governance Studies, Brookings Institution</p><p><strong>Mark Strand</strong><br>President, Congressional Institute</p><h4>Moderated by:</h4><p><strong>Kevin Kosar</strong><br>Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute (AEI)</p><h3>Panel Two</h3><p><strong>Allison Bawden</strong><br>Director, U.S. Government Accountability Office</p><p><strong>Zach Graves</strong><br>Executive Director, Lincoln Network</p><p><strong>Anne Meeker</strong><br>Director of Special Initatives, POPVOX Foundation</p><h4>Moderated by:</h4><p><strong>Franz Wuerfmannsdobler</strong><br>Senior Advisor, BPC</p>