Project 2025 would cut aid for rebuilding after storms such as Debby

[ACT NOW] Women and families cannot afford to wait for equal pay Problems viewing this email? [View it in your browser]( [Center for American Progress]( InProgress from the Center for American Progress To make sure you never miss an email from us, please add progress@americanprogress.org to your contacts or safe senders list. Thanks for staying connected with us! Far-right extremists would abandon American families and businesses in times of crisis [A person walks through a flooded street in Cedar Key, Florida, following Hurricane Debby.]( Photo: Getty Images As [Tropical Storm Debby]( continues to move up along the East Coast, thousands face the torrential rains and life-threatening floods that already devastated homes in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina when the storm first made landfall as a hurricane. After a weather disaster such as Debby, federal agencies play an important role in providing swift and efficient support to families and businesses affected by the extreme weather. One such resource is the [Small Business Administration’s (SBA) disaster loan program]( which provides low-interest direct loans to small-business owners and households who need to repair and rebuild their properties. In the past seven years, the SBA has disbursed 341,569 loans, totaling [more than $28 billion, to homeowners and small businesses](. Yet the far-right extremists behind Project 2025 want an “end to SBA direct lending,” meaning the end of the disaster loan program. If they have their way, these far-right policies will force families and businesses facing some of the hardest moments in their lives to bear even more of the costs associated with increasingly common weather and climate disasters. [Learn More]( ‘The Economic Status of Single Mothers’ [A mother carrying her baby in a baby carrier and holding an umbrella is seen crossing the street.]( Photo: Getty Images Over the past five decades, family structures in the United States have changed. The country has seen an increase in the number of families headed by single mothers. Today, single-mother families make up 1 in 5 families with their own children under age 18. A [recent Center for American Progress analysis]( found that there were 7.3 million single mothers in 2023—making up more than 4 in 5 single parents. Single mothers face the challenge of being the breadwinners and caregivers for their families. With the rise in dual-income families, single mothers are put at a comparative economic disadvantage. Single mothers who work full time earn a typical annual income of $40,000. Overall, single mothers have a 28 percent poverty rate. Although some single mothers receive financial assistance from child support or qualify for various forms of public assistance, further policy actions can be taken to alleviate the economic insecurity that single mothers face, including: - Expanding the Child Tax Credit - Reforming Temporary Assistance for Needy Families - Raising the minimum wage - Advancing policies to promote equal pay - Passing universal paid family and medical leave - Building affordable and accessible child care Such policies will not only advance economic security for single mothers and their families, but build a stronger and more equitable economy. [READ More]( It’s time to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act Women—especially women of color—are the backbone of our nation’s economy. But at the same time, they are consistently underpaid and their work is undervalued. All women, regardless of the number of hours worked during the year, typically make 78 cents for each dollar earned by all men. Equal pay is sorely needed to address these inequities. Policy is necessary to combat the discrimination that contributes to this wage gap and costs women thousands of dollars in lost wages over the course of their careers. The Paycheck Fairness Act is a critical piece of legislation that would strengthen existing equal pay protections, prohibit retaliation against workers who discuss their pay or challenge pay discrimination, limit employers’ reliance on salary history, and much more. Sign a letter telling your senators to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act. Women and families cannot afford to wait for equal pay. They deserve it now. [Add Your Name]( Another week of wins Let’s celebrate progress! [Image of Simone Biles with her four Olympic medals with text overlayed reading "Me if defeating Project 2025 was an Olympic sport"]( Photo: Getty Images [Share This]( RSVP: Our technological future CrowdTangle is a crucial tool employed by a vast network of journalists, researchers, and election observers to scrutinize the flow of information across Meta’s platforms during critical periods, especially elections. Despite numerous unanswered calls from the government, civil society, and academia to delay CrowdTangle’s shutdown until after the U.S. election and simultaneously improve the functionality of its replacement, Meta is proceeding with its plans to discontinue the tool. Join CAP [next Monday at 1 p.m. ET]( for a conversation about what this means for the technology policy landscape during this critical period with opening remarks from Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) and an esteemed panel featuring Davey Alba, Brandi Geurkink, Nathan Doctor, and Priyanjana Bengani. 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