Julie Vogtman, Senior Counsel

Julie Vogtman is Senior Counsel for the Family Economic Security Program at the National Women’s Law Center. She works on a range of issues involving economic support for low-income women and their families, including minimum wage policies, unemployment benefits, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). She also contributes to the Center’s work on federal budget and tax policies, including implementation of the tax credit components of the Affordable Care Act.  Prior to joining the Center, Ms. Vogtman was an associate with Covington & Burling LLP in Washington, DC. She is a graduate of Furman University and Georgetown University Law Center.

Expert in: Family Support Programs, Federal Budget, Federal Tax Policy, Minimum Wage, Unemployment, Poverty & Income Support
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My Take

Election Day Brings Higher Wages for Workers in Albuquerque, San Jose, and Long Beach

Posted by Julie Vogtman, Senior Counsel | Posted on: November 08, 2012 at 12:47 pm

Here in D.C. and across the country, election results consume the headlines, even as many of us breathe a sigh of relief that the long campaign season is over. But in addition to the big-ticket races on Election Day, there were a number of ballot initiatives in cities and states that are less publicized nationally but no less important to the people affected. These include three municipal ballot measures – in Albuquerque, San Jose, and Long Beach – to raise the minimum wage. All three passed with substantial majorities, meaning many low-wage workers in these cities will soon find it a bit easier to make ends meet. Specifically:

  • In Albuquerque, New Mexico, the minimum wage will rise from $7.50 to $8.50 per hour in January 2013, and will automatically adjust in future years to keep up with inflation. New Mexico Voices for Children estimates that 40,000 workers (one-seventh of Albuquerque’s workforce) will see higher paychecks as a result – generating about $18 million in consumer spending and helping to create new jobs as businesses expand to meet the increased demand.
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Tags: 2012 Elections, California, Fair Minimum Wage Act, Minimum Wage, New Mexico, Minimum Wage, Employment, Poverty & Income Support | Add new comment

New Jersey Lawmakers Not Giving Up on Minimum Wage Increase

Posted by Julie Vogtman, Senior Counsel | Posted on: October 23, 2012 at 03:26 pm

Back in May, New Jersey seemed to be on its way to a higher minimum wage when the state’s General Assembly passed a bill (A-2162) to raise the state’s minimum wage from $7.25 to $8.50 per hour and index it to keep pace with inflation. That raise is urgently needed: full-time minimum wage earnings of $14,500 a year leave a mom with two kids thousands of dollars below the federal poverty line in a state with one of the highest costs of living in the country. But after Governor Christie made it clear he would not sign the bill, it stalled without a vote in the state Senate.

This month, however, the minimum wage is back on the legislative agenda in New Jersey. Senate President Steve Sweeney recently introduced a resolution (SCR 1) proposing an amendment to New Jersey’s constitution that would raise the minimum wage to $8.25 per hour and index it for inflation. The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee approved the resolution last week, and the Senate Labor Committee held a public hearing yesterday. The resolution will next move before the full Senate.

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Tags: Minimum Wage, New Jersey, Minimum Wage, Poverty & Income Support | Add new comment

7,450 Wealthy Estates Win, Millions of Working Families Lose Under Republican Leaders’ Tax Plan

Posted by Julie Vogtman, Senior Counsel | Posted on: October 16, 2012 at 09:42 am

As the year-end expiration date for the Bush-era income tax cuts draws nearer, taxes seem to be an increasingly hot topic. So far, however, some expiring tax provisions have largely escaped media attention. These include improvements to refundable tax credits, like the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit (CTC), that were enacted in 2009 as part of the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA). These credits help low- and moderate-income families, millions of whom will lose benefits if the ARRA improvements are allowed to expire – as the tax plan proposed by Republican leaders in Congress would do, even as it maintains tax cuts for the richest two percent of Americans.

End Tac Breaks for Millionaires, Not Moms

The $160,000 tax break that millionaires will receive if the Bush-era tax cuts are extended next year does not include the effect of another tax cut that also has remained mostly under the radar: the 2010 estate tax cut. If this tax cut is allowed to expire on schedule at the end of the year, and the federal estate tax reverts to its 2009 level as President Obama has proposed, 99.7 percent of estates will still be exempt from the tax.

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Tags: Budget, Bush Tax Cuts, Federal Budget, Tax Credits, Taxes, Family Tax Credits, Federal Tax Policy, Tax Reform, Poverty & Income Support, Tax & Budget | Add new comment

Poverty Leveled Off for Women in 2011, but Record Numbers Still Living in Poverty

Posted by Julie Vogtman, Senior Counsel | Posted on: September 12, 2012 at 12:24 pm

 The Census Bureau just released new data on poverty in the U.S. in 2011. In the second full year of the recovery that began when the recession officially ended in June 2009, poverty began to stabilize, though at a very high level: the overall poverty rate was 15.0 percent, statistically unchanged from the rate in 2010 (15.1 percent). Here’s a quick look at the numbers for women and families:

      • The poverty rate among women was 14.6 percent in 2011, statistically unchanged from 14.5 percent in 2010, but still the highest rate in 18 years. Men’s poverty rate was lower, at 10.9 percent in 2011 (statistically unchanged from 11.2 percent in 2010). A 14.6 percent poverty rate means 17.7 million women were living in poverty in 2011.
      • The poverty rate for women 65 and older was 10.7 percent in 2011, unchanged from 2010 and lower than the poverty rate for women overall. However, the poverty rate for elderly women living alone increased significantly to 18.4 percent in 2011 from 17.0 percent in 2010.
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Tags: Census Bureau and Census Data, Poverty, Data on Poverty & Income, Poverty & Income Support | 1 comment

The Story Behind the Numbers: Poverty

Posted by
Julie Vogtman, Senior Counsel
Katherine Gallagher Robbins, Senior Policy Analyst
| Posted on: September 10, 2012 at 02:56 pm

This Wednesday, the Census Bureau will release new data on poverty, income, and health insurance in the U.S. in 2011. As we get ready to crunch numbers, we thought it would be helpful to take a deeper look at what these numbers tell us – and don’t tell us – about poverty. Here are a few FAQs on poverty and the Census Bureau data.

What does the poverty rate measure?

The poverty rate measures the percentage of the U.S. population with income below the federal poverty threshold, often referred to as the “poverty line,” for their family size (e.g., $22,811 in 2011 for a family of four with two kids). Income is calculated before taxes and includes only cash income such as earnings, pension/retirement income, Social Security, unemployment benefits, and child support payments.

What doesn’t the poverty rate measure?

A number of federal and state benefits that help support lower-income families are not counted as income in the official poverty measure. “Non-cash benefits” like food stamps (SNAP) and housing assistance, and tax benefits like the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit, do not count as income for purposes of calculating the official poverty rate.

The official poverty measure also does not account for any expenditures, such as those on medical needs or child care, which can be very large for some families and leave them little income to meet other basic needs.

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Tags: Census Bureau and Census Data, Poverty & Income Support, Poverty Rate, Family Tax Credits, Data on Poverty & Income, Poverty & Income Support | Add new comment