Things to Go Watch This Week: Supporting America’s Lower-Middle-Class Families: The Hamilton Project

Supporting America’s Lower-Middle-Class Families : The Hamilton Project:

When: Wednesday, December 4, 2013 • 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Where: The Liaison Capitol Hill Hotel

Media Inquiries: Karen Anderson • 202-797-6023 • KAnderson@brookings.edu

General Inquiries: Laura Howell • 202-797-6484 • LHowell@Brookings.edu

More than half of American families earn $60,000 or less a year — outside of poverty but with limited economic security. Indeed, many of these families rely on government programs for support and one major setback could throw their lives into chaos. On December 4th, The Hamilton Project at Brookings will host a forum to highlight two new proposals for aiding America’s lower-middle class…. Strengthen[ing] the food stamp (SNAP) program… a secondary earner tax deduction to help “make work pay” for both spouses in low income families….

The forum will conclude with a discussion between Jason Furman, Chairman of the President’s Council of Economic Advisers, and David Leonhardt, Washington Bureau Chief for the New York Times, on the challenges facing America’s lower-middle-class families.

Welcome: Robert E. Rubin

Strengthening SNAP to Fight Food Insecurity: Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach, Joel Berg, Robert Greenstein, James Ziliak, Carol Martin Gatton, Roger C. Altman

Making Work Pay for Secondary Earners: Melissa Kearney, Lesley Turner, Kevin Hassett, Peter Orszag, Glenn Hutchins

Building Ladders of Opportunity for America’s Lower-Income Families: Jason Furman, David Leonhardt