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April 11, 2025 – Washington, D.C. – The Board of Trustees of the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) announced today that it has chosen Wendy Chun-Hoon as the organization’s next president and executive director. She will assume leadership of the national anti-poverty and racial justice organization on May 15, 2025, succeeding Cemeré James who has served as the interim executive director of CLASP since January 2025.

“Wendy brings decades of leadership and experience across the range of issues that CLASP addresses,” said David Hansell, chair of CLASP’s Board of Trustees. “All of us on the Board are delighted to welcome Wendy, who brings enormous skills as an advocate and leader, a demonstrated commitment to our mission and values, and the enthusiasm and passion needed to meet this critical moment. Under Wendy’s leadership, CLASP will continue playing a vital role in addressing the unprecedented assaults on the public policies that support economic security for all people who are marginalized in this country.”

Chun-Hoon most recently served in the Biden Administration as Director of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau from 2021-25. Prior to that, she was executive director of Family Values@Work, a national network of grassroots coalitions in 27 states fighting for care policies and workplace rights such as paid sick and safe days, family medical leave insurance, and child care. Her experience also includes working in state government as chief of staff to the Maryland Secretary of Human Services; in the philanthropic sector at the Open Society Foundations, where she worked on poverty alleviation; and at the Annie E. Casey Foundation, where her portfolio included public benefit programs.

Beyond her work experience, Chun-Hoon’s values align closely with CLASP’s mission to advance racial and economic justice, as she has spent her career fighting to end the marginalization of women and communities of color and to ensure economic security for all. Her deep commitment to equity, inclusion, and social justice makes her an ideal leader to continue CLASP’s work of dismantling systemic barriers and advancing meaningful change.

“CLASP has long been a leader in shaping policies that create pathways to economic security,” said Wendy Chun-Hoon. “I am deeply honored to join this remarkable organization and its dedicated team. As we face increasing challenges, my focus will be on expanding our advocacy efforts, building strategic alliances, and ensuring that CLASP’s work is guided by the diverse needs and voices of the people we serve. Together, we will continue to advance a bold, inclusive vision for racial, gender, and economic justice.”

“This moment calls for a clear-eyed view of the barriers to economic and racial justice and solutions at the scale of the problem,” said Julie Su, former U.S. Secretary of Labor. “There is no one more effective to lead that work than Wendy Chun-Hoon. Wendy is that rare person who combines great vision with concrete strategies and the ability to inspire bold action. I have seen this up close as I got to work side by side with her at the Department of Labor to invest in Black women-led organizations, produce research on the need for child care and drivers of pay inequity, and give women all across the country a real shot at economic security. Wendy’s leadership will be transformative for CLASP and the people and communities CLASP serves.”

“In uncertain times, we turn to values-driven leaders to create critical pathways forward that respect and recognize the power of lived experience and policy solutions that will advance equitable opportunity for all and ensure no person, family, or community is left behind or excluded. Wendy Chun-Hoon brings a proven track record of leadership, that spans the public, social, and philanthropic sectors, to CLASP, one of our country’s most essential policy anchor organizations,” said Anne Mosle, Vice President at the Aspen Institute and Founder & Executive Director of Ascend at the Aspen Institute. “With Wendy at the helm, the next chapter of CLASP’s mission-driven work will build bridges and accelerate policy innovation from the federal to state and local level. CLASP and Ascend at the Aspen Institute share the North Star of creating a more equitable future for families with low incomes, and I look forward to our organizations expanding our collaboration under Wendy’s leadership.”

“The CLASP team and Board of Trustees also extend our deepest gratitude to Cemeré James for her leadership as interim executive director. Under her guidance, CLASP has navigated a transition period with resilience and a continued commitment to our mission,” said Hansell.

CLASP is a 55-year-old national, nonpartisan nonprofit that focuses on economic, social, and racial justice. We work with federal, state, and local policymakers, advocates, and partners to advance policies that reduce poverty, improve the lives of people with low income, and create pathways to economic security for everyone. Our work is rooted in a belief that poverty in America is inextricably tied to systemic racism. The organization has been on the front lines of fighting back against harmful administrative and legislative proposals—particularly those from the current and prior Trump administrations—and advancing a bold and practical vision.

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This statement can be attributed to Rricha deCant, director of legislative affairs at the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)

April 10, 2025, Washington, D.C. – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a budget resolution bill by a vote of 216-214 that was passed by the Senate last week. Its passage highlights the willingness of Congressional leaders to fund tax breaks for the rich and corporations and drive up the deficit through massive Medicaid cuts of $880 billion and SNAP cuts of $230 billion.

The proposal would also slash other public benefit programs that people with low incomes rely on. Instead of passing a budget resolution that would help families grapple with rising costs in an already chaotic economy, Congressional leaders are making it more difficult for families, children, and workers to have access to health care, food, and other essentials.

This measure now opens the door for Congress to write a budget reconciliation bill that could have far-reaching impacts on the lives of millions of Americans for decades to come.

By Ashley Burnside

As we anticipate Tax Day, the April 15 deadline for Americans to file their annual tax return, many households are waiting for their refunds, which will include critical tax credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit (CTC). Although the wealthy can find ways around paying taxes, the tax filing process should be designed to ensure that everyone pays their fair share. That’s because the revenue from our tax returns is reinvested into critical public goods that we all rely on, like public schools and roads.

But this year, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is under threat, and the agency will have less bandwidth and fewer resources to process tax returns and provide support to the taxpayers who need it. The proposed IRS layoffs and funding cuts to the agency will harm taxpayers and hurt our economy. And the data requests for access to payment systems by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are a threat to the security and protection of Americans.

IRS Funding and Staffing is a Critical Investment to Help Americans File Their Taxes

Having a fully staffed and funded IRS is important to our country’s well-being. Workers are required to file their taxes each year, but the process can be expensive, time-consuming, and complicated. Many taxpayers turn to private companies like Turbo Tax and H&R Block to file their taxes because they aren’t able to access free services within their communities—leading to an average cost of $140 to file taxes.  Americans spend an average of 8 hours filing their return.

All of us have surely been left scratching our heads at some point when trying to understand what numbers to use when reporting our income or whether a particular deduction applies to our circumstances. For gig workers and college students, the tax filing process can be especially complex. Tax filers are often scared to file incorrectly and to be penalized—creating even more anxiety in an already complicated process.

For all these reasons, we must have a fully funded and fully staffed IRS with comprehensive customer service available and resources to make tax filing more accessible. But the Trump Administration has threatened to cut up to half of the IRS workforce and to dramatically cut funding for the agency.

When we invest in IRS staff who can help audit wealthy taxpayers, this leads to more revenue for our nation. Unfortunately, these staff are under threat from the Trump Administration. Through the Inflation Reduction Act, lawmakers invested $80 billion in the IRS, and this additional revenue has already had positive benefits. The IRS improved its ability to offer customer service – reducing phone wait times to an average of just over 3 minutes during the 2024 tax filing season. The agency answered about 90 percent of phone calls during the filing season as well. The IRS also used the increased funding to begin improving outdated interfaces and technology and to audit complex, high-income tax filers who evade paying their taxes. As of December 2024, the IRS collected $1.3 billion from very wealthy taxpayers who had not paid their overdue tax debt or filed their tax returns. Importantly, every $1 spent on auditing individuals with high incomes garners an additional $12 in revenue for our nation.

Investments in the Direct File Tool and Taxpayer Assistance Clinics are Vital

The IRS has established the Direct File tool, which provides a free and easy way for people to file their taxes online. In 2024, the program’s first year, 12 states used Direct File and users saved an estimated $5.6 million in tax preparation fees. This year, 25 states have implemented the tool. Lawmakers should invest in the IRS to help make the Direct File tool permanently available. In addition, lawmakers should invest in Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) clinics that help people file their taxes.

Stealing Private Taxpayer Data Will Reduce Trust and Lead to Less Revenue

DOGE is attempting to access private taxpayer data—including from filers with Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs), which are often used by immigrants. This risks the trust and security of Americans and may make people in immigrant communities reluctant to file their taxes, reducing the revenue our nation gets from these taxpayers. The administration has also proposed transferring IRS staff to the Department of Homeland Security where they could assist with deportations. Diverting IRS employees away from their primary functions, such as collecting revenue from the ultra-wealthy who may be evading taxes, to focus instead on deportation would reduce public revenues by billions of dollars annually. This would ultimately reduce efficiency within IRS tax collection systems.

We Must Invest in the IRS, Not Deplete It

Lawmakers should invest in the IRS, not deplete it. Tax filers are better off when our nation invests in resources like the Direct File tool and customer support services. And our economy is better off when lawmakers invest in staff who can audit the wealthiest individuals to raise revenue for public goods and ensure everyone is following the law and paying their fair share. Due to these disruptions in the IRS, the Department of Treasury anticipates a decrease of more than 10 percent—some $500+ billion—in tax receipts in 2025 compared to 2024. The proposed cuts to the agency are part of a larger plan by lawmakers to fund tax breaks for the very wealthiest Americans and corporations at the expense of everyday people.

 

This statement can be attributed to Cemeré James, interim executive director of the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)

Washington, D.C., March 28, 2025 – CLASP decries the cuts announced yesterday to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). These reductions will affect mental health, disabled people, rural communities, vaccines for children, and community health workers who address inequities for people across the lifespan, among others.

HHS plays a fundamental role in addressing the well-being of the nation’s 340 million people. Everyone benefits from HHS’s work to fight diseases, promote public health, and provide essential human services. But people with low incomes—especially children and families—have a particular stake in the agency’s work. That’s why CLASP is concerned that HHS is slashing another 10,000 jobs—on top of the 10,000 positions eliminated earlier—as part of Elon Musk’s DOGE project, which has recklessly cut grants and contracts and terminated staff since its inception.

Our country is undergoing unprecedented upheaval in programs critical to people who are forced to live on the margins of society during an unpredictable economy poised to get even worse. Drastic cuts like these will only make their lives more challenging. CLASP is committed to joining our partners in resisting these cuts and advocating for alternative approaches that don’t fund tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations by making drastic reductions that harm people with low incomes.

By Teon Hayes

Budget numbers can feel distant, as if they’re just abstract figures debated by those with privilege in the halls of power. But behind those numbers are people, families, and entire communities that will bear the brunt of decisions made in Washington. The House Budget Resolution proposes sweeping cuts that would affect the amount of groceries people can buy, the education of our children, and access to life-saving health care. The real-world consequences of these reductions will be devastating for millions of Americans.

Food on the Table: The Impact of Agriculture Cuts

For many families, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the difference between having food on the table and going hungry. The proposed $230 billion in cuts to agriculture would likely mean deep reductions to SNAP, hitting families with low incomes, seniors, and children the hardest. These cuts could lead to stricter eligibility requirements, reduced benefits, and rising rates of food insecurity.

For example, a single mother in North Carolina has a full-time job but still struggles to afford groceries for her children. SNAP helps her bridge the gap, ensuring that her family has nutritious meals. If these proposed cuts go through, her family could see their food assistance slashed or eliminated, forcing this mother to make impossible choices between paying rent and feeding her kids.

The Cost of Cutting Education: A Blow to Future Generations

Education is often hailed as the great equalizer but slashing at least $330 billion from education funding threatens to widen disparities and limit opportunities for the next generation of leaders. This isn’t just about numbers; it’s about lost opportunities for millions of students.

Imagine a high school senior in rural Pennsylvania who dreams of becoming a nurse. He plans to attend a public college, relying on federal grants and affordable tuition to make his education possible. However, if these cuts become reality, the public college he wants to attend may be forced to raise tuition, reduce financial aid, and cut essential student support services. A reduction in education funding could mean fewer grants and higher student loan burdens, discouraging this student from pursuing the education he needs to thrive in the workforce. As a result, the cycle of poverty continues.

Decrease in Public Higher Education Appropriations per Full-Time Equivalent Student by State, FYI 2001-2023

Source: “Threats to the Department of Education: Private Equity Replacing Public Funding”

The Human Cost of Health Care Cuts

The proposed draft directs the committee that handles Medicaid to cut at least $880 billion, which will likely affect Medicaid most directly. This would have catastrophic consequences for millions of individuals who rely on the program for health care. These cuts could result in reducing coverage for essential services, increasing the number of uninsured Americans, and possibly closing hospitals and nursing homes.

Picture a diabetic patient unable to afford insulin, a child missing critical treatments, or a senior losing access to home health care. Stripping away Medicaid funding doesn’t just take away health care. It endangers lives.

Beyond the Numbers: Why This Matters

These proposed cuts represent real consequences for real people. While policymakers may see this as a fiscal decision, for millions of Americans, it’s a question of survival.

As these discussions unfold, we must ask: who benefits from these cuts, and who suffers? A budget is a moral document that reflects our priorities as a nation. What kind of country do we want to be: one that invests in its people, or one that turns its back on them?

This budget doesn’t just reduce spending; it threatens the stability of millions of families. Single mothers, high school seniors, people with chronic illnesses – they are just some of the real people who will feel the impact of these choices. The United States should be investing in policies that lift people up—ensuring that children have enough to eat, that schools have the resources to educate, and that communities have the support they need to be healthy and thrive.

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(EXCERPT)

Rricha deCant — director of legislative affairs at the Center for Law and Social Policy, which advocates for assistance for people with low incomes — told NPR that it appeared many federal programs wouldn’t be exempt from this pause because funding first goes “to the states or to local entities, and then it’s distributed to the individual people.”

>> Read the full article here 

This briefing will focused on both the achievements and challenges in advancing the War on Poverty’s goals and discuss strategies for eliminating economic and racial injustices.

 

 

By Nat Baldino

Public comments submitted by CLASP in response to U.S. Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Policy’s July 30, 2024 hearing entitled “Banning Noncompete Agreements: Benefits for Workers, Businesses, and the Economy.”

On behalf of the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), I submit these comments in support of upholding the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC’s) noncompete ban. We applaud the Subcommittee on Economic Policy’s decision to hold a hearing investigating how the FTC’s noncompete ban will benefit workers, businesses, and the economy. CLASP is a national, nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to advancing anti-poverty policy solutions that disrupt structural and systemic racism and sexism and remove barriers blocking people from economic security and opportunity. With deep expertise in a wide range of programs and policy ideas and over 50 years of history, CLASP works to amplify the voices of directly-impacted workers and families and help public officials design and implement effective programs.

CLASP seeks to improve the quality of jobs for low-income workers, especially workers of color, women, immigrants, and youth. We work with policymakers to raise wages, increase access to benefits, implement and enforce new and existing labor standards and ensure workers can strengthen their voice through collective bargaining. Quality jobs enable workers to balance their work, school, and family responsibilities – promoting economic stability and security.

The FTC’s ban on noncompete agreements is a crucial part of a suite of policies needed to improve job quality and level the playing field for workers. Noncompete agreements are widely used clauses in employment contracts that limit workers’ ability to work for “competitor” companies, including starting their own business, for a specific amount of time or within a specific geography. In our current labor market, noncompete agreements are frequently used to essentially trap workers in their current employment, limiting economic mobility by preventing workers from seeking competitive employment opportunities. Noncompetes drive down wages, stifle competition, and allow employers to keep job quality low. The FTC’s ban on noncompete agreements combats this common practice by barring employers from creating new noncompete agreements and rendering the vast majority of noncompetes null and void and is therefore essential to improving job quality.

Noncompetes are pervasive in low-quality jobs

There is a common misconception that noncompete agreements are reserved for executive-level employees to protect “trade secrets.” In reality, noncompetes are pervasive, spanning every conceivable industry and job level. In fact, one in five workers – an estimated 30 million workers – are subject to noncompete agreements. Among these, the modal worker is an hourly worker earning a median wage of $14.2 Few if any of these workers have access to information that is not widely known. In many cases, signing a noncompete comes as a condition of employment. Less than 10 percent of workers negotiate their noncompete agreements, and a whopping 93 percent of workers sign them anyway in order to secure their jobs. Many workers are only given this agreement after they’ve already accepted employment; others are asked to sign non-competes during their onboarding process, often within a mountain of paperwork and rushed through signing so that they’re not even aware of the way in which they are binding themselves to their employer.

Noncompetes disproportionately keep job quality low for women and workers of color

Workers most likely to sign a noncompete agreement are those already in low-quality, low-wage jobs. Due to occupational segregation, women, workers of color, immigrant workers, and LGBT workers are overrepresented in such positions. This means that workers already impacted by systems of power are further marginalized by being coerced into signing agreements that limit their bargaining power. Marginalized workers are overrepresented in low-paying industries like customer service, hospitality, and retail – industries that are also the least likely to be unionized and therefore have the power to bargain for better working conditions. Being already at a disadvantage from low pay, around 17 percent of workers in these industries are then subject to non-compete agreements.

Non-competes are a further barrier to racial and gender equity for workers because of the way in which they promote low job quality and prevent competition. When a worker is bound to a noncompete agreement, they cannot leave their job for one with better pay or working conditions. This allows employers to keep job quality and pay low without fear of competition. The prevalence of noncompetes doesn’t just depress wages for workers with noncompetes – they instead have a chilling effect that depress all wages. Noncompetes lead to a stagnant economy for both workers and businesses: with workers unable to move freely in the labor market and smaller and newer companies unable to compete against larger corporations and noncompetes, economic dynamism is stifled, and wages stagnate.

In a job market that already lacks strong worker protections against retaliation, workplace danger, and discrimination, the inability to move to a better-quality workplace dramatically increases the likelihood that women and workers of color will be forced to remain in dangerous or abusive workplaces with poor pay and poor working conditions, perpetuating the cycle of occupational segregation. Noncompete clauses are also detrimental to worker power. When workers know that they cannot find work within their industry outside of their employer, they are less likely to negotiate better wages or working conditions either individually or within a collective bargaining effort. Women in states with strict enforcement of noncompetes are less likely than men to leave their jobs, and women and women of color are less likely to negotiate their non-compete clauses.

Banning noncompetes has already been successful, but state policy is not enough

Researchers have estimated that banning noncompetes nationwide would close racial and gender wage gaps by 3.69 percent. Evidence from state-implemented noncompete bans bears this out. A study of Oregon’s noncompete ban found that hourly wages increased by 2 to 3 percent on average. Several states have implemented either bans or limits on noncompetes. States such as Illinois, Maryland, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Maine all prohibit noncompetes for workers paid “low wages,” with different definitions of what counts as a low wage for each state. Other states have attempted to put guardrails on noncompetes by industry, such as New Mexico within their healthcare industry, or Hawaii’s tech industry. Massachusetts has limited noncompetes to a duration of one year. All of these state policies have shown to benefit workers not only in those states, but in border states as well.

Yet, state programs are not enough. Even within states with broad noncompete bans, like the newly enacted Minnesota noncompete ban, not all workers are covered. In Minnesota, the law only prohibits the enforcement of noncompetes entered into after July 2023, leaving nearly 300,000 Minnesota workers trapped in their noncompetes. Relying on a patchwork of state programs creates incomplete protections for workers. Workers should not merely hope to have a fair employer or live in a state with a noncompete policy that can apply to them. All workers should have the ability to move freely within their industry, seeking jobs with better pay, better working conditions, and more dignity and respect at work.

The FTC’s ban on noncompetes is a much-needed rule to increase worker mobility, economic dynamism, and to decrease the gender and racial wealth gap. We thank you for this opportunity to submit this written statement for the record. If you have any questions regarding this topic, please feel free to contact Nat Baldino, Policy Analyst with the Education, Labor and Worker Justice Team at CLASP.

>>Read full comments and references.

 

 

Washington, D.C., June 13, 2024—The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) today announced that Indivar (Indi) Dutta-Gupta, who has led the antipoverty nonprofit organization as president and executive director since 2022, will step down on June 14th for personal reasons.

“Serving as CLASP’s president and executive director over the last two years has given me an incredible opportunity to continue to advocate for and deepen my lifelong commitment to ending poverty and advancing racial and gender justice,” said Dutta-Gupta. “I know that the world will always be better because of CLASP’s work, talented staff, and committed Board.”

“The Board of Trustees and I respect Indi’s decision to step down and appreciate his dedication to the organization,” said CLASP Board Chair David Hansell. “Indi has represented CLASP exceedingly well by helping shape the public narrative on poverty and social justice before Congress, in the media, with funders, among our allies, and in many other ways.”

Under Dutta-Gupta’s leadership, CLASP raised the visibility of critical antipoverty policy solutions and enhanced the organization’s profile and commitment to ending poverty and advancing racial, economic, and social justice. Through multiple Congressional testimonies and national media appearances, Dutta-Gupta deepened lawmakers’ and the public’s understanding of key policy strategies to reduce poverty and advance racial and economic justice, including a fully refundable and inclusive child tax credit.

Over the past two years, CLASP exercised its influence with the Biden Administration to take executive actions on key policy priorities, including child care affordability and immigration policy that prioritizes family unity. Dutta-Gupta also helped to establish new partnerships with peers and allies and engage in new coalitions—including to extend CLASP’s tax policy and gender justice work—and led work to diversify CLASP’s Board of Trustees.

The CLASP Board of Trustees has named Olivia Golden as interim executive director. She will return to CLASP on July 15th and has agreed to step into the interim role until at least the end of the year.

Golden served as CLASP’s executive director for nearly a decade before Dutta-Gupta joined the organization. She is a former assistant secretary for children and families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and brings over four decades of experience developing policies to improve the lives of families with low incomes.

During the four-week transition between Indi’s departure and Olivia’s arrival, CLASP Chief of Staff Patrick Corvington will serve as acting interim executive director.

2024 marks the 60th anniversary of the War on Poverty, an ambitious package of social welfare legislation introduced under President Lyndon B. Johnson. Today, as we continue the fight to end poverty, we face both long-standing and more recent structural, systemic, political, and economic challenges that impede this urgent goal.

Our nation has made meaningful gains in the last few decades to bring economic security and opportunity to millions. However, the reality is clear—we remain far from achieving the equitable, inclusionary, and transformative changes needed to end poverty and advance a multiracial democracy. In 2023, CLASP redoubled our strategic advocacy, implementation and technical assistance, research and analysis, and narrative change work at the national, state, and local levels.

Our 2023 Impact Report highlights just some of the ways CLASP has worked to limit the harm of poverty in America through a multitude of strategies and collaborations. The COVID public health emergency may be behind us, but the profound economic insecurity experienced every day by millions of children, working people, families, and communities of color is an epidemic that requires immediate attention with substantial public investments.

I often say that poverty is a choice—one made by policymakers, not by people who experience it. CLASP offers policymakers the information, ideas, insights, and inspiration to shrink poverty and help move our country toward equity, justice, and inclusive democracy.

Thank you for being a partner in our mission and vision for a world where children, families, youth and young adults, immigrants, and individuals across all lived experiences and identities can live a healthy, economically secure, and civically engaged life now and for generations to come.

Indi Dutta-Gupta

President and Executive Director

>> Download the full report