In testimony before the House Committee on Financial Services, Alice Rivlin says that pundits have pronounced the death of capitalism prematurely, saying it is far too powerful a tool for increasing human economic well-being to be tossed aside. She believes there is plenty of blame to go around for the current crisis, and lays out steps to fix regulatory gaps, eliminate perverse and conflicting incentives and clarify and strengthen the roles of the current regulatory agencies.
In testimony before the House Budget Committee, Martin Baily says we need a second fiscal stimulus package to avoid a deep recession. He advocates for an immediate infusion of $200 billion, with a second $100 billion released if unemployment hits 7.5 percent. The package should include help for homeowners, tax rebates for families and aid to states and localities.
In this testimony, Rebecca Blank argues for the need to modernize our poverty statistics so that we may have a better understanding of who is poor and how these numbers are changing over time. She discusses anti-poverty strategies for the next decade.
In this testimony, Robert Puentes argues that congestion pricing holds the most promise for securing the financial future of New York City and its transit agency over the next several years. A recent proposal to charge drivers that enter a "congestion zone" in Manhattan was slated to raise more than a half million dollars annually for transit. The current funding challenges are bolstering the case for revisiting that proposal.
In Senate testimony, Robert Puentes argues that America's transportation system is "no longer aligned with the way we live or work, nor with the major economic, energy and environmental challenges facing the country." He outlines how federal policies for public transit can reduce dependence on foreign oil, encourage energy sustainability and promote economic efficiency.
In testimony before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, Erica Downs outlined China's energy policymaking reforms and how they are unlikely to substantially improve energy governance. She also discussed the implications of these changes for the United States.
Rebecca Blank testified before the Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support of the House Committee on Ways and Means on the need for an improved measure of poverty in the United States. She stated that our current poverty line is based on data more than 50 years old and our poverty count does not measure the actual resources that many families have available to them.
The interrogation programs of both the military and the intelligence community have been criticized at great length for being inconsistent with American values. In testimony before the House Committee on the Judiciary, Benjamin Wittes examined America's interrogation policy in the war against terrorism and offered steps towards a healthier statutory environment.