Daily Dime

President Joe Biden’s ambitious plan to level the economic playing field by expanding the federal safety net and making long-neglected infrastructure investments faces some critical tests this week. Politico’s Sarah Ferris and Heather Caygle report that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has called for a Thursday vote on the public works bill, which has already passed the Senate with bipartisan support.… Read more...

After a storm, the Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as D-SNAP, is often critical in helping Louisianans recovering from natural disasters to refill their fridges and to free up resources for other pressing recovery-related needs. But in the wake of Hurricane Ida, administrative challenges at the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) led to unreasonable wait times for call-in D-SNAP applications — required for Louisianans to access the benefit.… Read more...

Louisiana often relies on the labor of immigrant workers after disasters, including many without documentation. But when those same workers are hit by a disaster, they are left out of most federal programs providing relief. As Philip Kiefer reports in the Lens, in the wake of Hurricane Ida’s devastation, many immigrants in southeast Louisiana are cut off from disaster assistance, whether they’re eligible or not.… Read more...

After multiple hurricanes caused billions in damage over the past two years, Louisianans are still waiting on long overdue federal disaster assistance. This week, however, Congress advanced a much-needed aid package that includes $28.6 billion for communities hammered by natural disasters, including many in Louisiana, as part of a larger bill to lift the debt ceiling and to fund the federal government past the end of this month.… Read more...