Bipartisan Policy Center

Our nation’s success depends on nurturing talent and expanding opportunities. This commission is committed to finding bipartisan solutions that benefit all Americans. More from BPC CEO and President Margaret Spellings on BPC’s Commission on the American Workforce. 👇

We’re launching a bold, bipartisan – Commission on the American Workforce – to solve one of America’s greatest challenges: strengthening our workforce and investing in the American people. The challenges are clear: ✅ 2/3 of 4th graders struggle with literacy and math. ✅ College enrollment has stagnated amid doubts about its value. ✅ Nearly half of nonworking women cite child care as a barrier to employment. ✅ Over 1M job openings point to a critical skills mismatch. We’re honored to have two exceptional leaders, former Govs Bill Haslam (R-TN) and Deval Patrick (D-MA), co-chair this vital effort. The commission will focus on: • K-12 education reform • Postsecondary pathways and workforce readiness • Addressing workforce shortages • Enhancing child care, paid leave, and retirement security The time for action is now. The Higher Education Act, Every Student Succeeds Act, Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, Child Care and Development Block Grants and Carl D. Perkins CTE Act are all overdue or expiring this year. As Congress considers key legislation, the commission’s recommendations will help shape the policies that prepare our workforce for future success. Learn more about this critical effort and meet the commissioners shaping the future of our workforce. https://bit.ly/3ZWdPES

🗳️ Last week, we convened experts and stakeholders from across the country to reflect on the 2024 election cycle and chart a path forward for building more accessible and trustworthy #elections. Thank you to our panelists, attendees, and partners at MIT Election Data and Science Lab, States United Democracy Center, States United Action, Issue One, and SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University for making #ElectionsSummit24 a success! Watch full recordings from the event: https://bit.ly/4govomE

Sneak peek of our President and CEO Margaret Spellings chatting with Bloomberg Television David Westin about the federal role in education and safeguarding the future of our workforce.

📢 Progress on WIOA  There's agreement from House Education and Workforce Committee Chair Foxx, Ranking Member Scott, Senate HELP Committee Chair Sanders, and Ranking Member Cassidy to reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. The bill, "A Stronger Workforce for America Act," promises to make critical updates to WIOA that expand access to economic opportunity and directs workers and federal dollars to quality programs that are aligned with workforce needs and in-demand jobs. Bipartisan efforts like this will help ensure that American workers have access to economic opportunities so that our nation remains a global leader. We applaud this bicameral, bipartisan effort and hope to see Congress end this session with a final agreement. #Bipartisan #WIOA #WorkforceDevelopment #Workforce

The U.S. is on an unsustainable trajectory, with interest on the debt nearing $900 billion annually—20 times the cost of clean energy incentives. Fredrick Hernandez, MPP and John Jacobs write about three ways the rising debt impacts energy. 1.       Inflation drives up material and labor costs for energy projects 2.       High interest rates increase borrowing costs, making energy projects less attractive to investors and slowing clean energy investments 3.       Rising debt limits federal funding for energy R&D https://bit.ly/4faQeVw #Bipartisan #USDebt #NationalDebt #CleanEnergy #Energy

Today, we launched a new Working Group on Congress, Courts, and Administrative Law to help Congress navigate the post-Chevron legal landscape.  The working group will provide practical tools and recommendations to help Congress respond to the new political reality. https://bit.ly/3BzC8yW

Bipartisanship is essential to creating meaningful policy solutions. We’re grateful for the opportunity to work across party lines every day to solve our nation’s biggest challenges. Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at BPC! #Bipartisan #HappyThanksgiving

The United States faces a long-standing shortage of direct care workers. Many individuals prefer to receive care at home from family members or friends, making unpaid caregivers essential.   During National Family Caregivers Month, we recognize the incredible contributions of unpaid caregivers. Our report outlines bipartisan solutions to retain direct care workers by promoting more supportive work environments. These reforms include assisting unpaid caregivers who bear significant financial burdens while relieving pressure on the paid workforce. https://bit.ly/3uMdwj0 #Bipartisan #NationalFamilyCaregiversMonth #NFCMonth

The Interstate Paid Leave Action Network (I-PLAN) is designed to foster greater coordination across the paid leave landscape, creating benefits for businesses and employers, employees, and state administrators. I-PLAN allows innovative solutions from one state to benefit others. Currently, bipartisan working groups in Congress are considering national paid family leave policies. BPC will continue to work with members from both parties to identify innovative solutions that increase access to paid family leave AND work for employers, workers, families, and the economy. #Bipartisan #PaidFamilyLeave