Across the country, rent is too high and the dream of homeownership is increasingly out of reach. Housing is now one of the biggest drivers of economic anxiety. That’s why CAP is bringing together some of the country’s smartest housing minds to talk about what it will actually take to make progress. We’re excited to host this discussion with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI), and a panel of housing experts.
The stakes are high. While there is growing agreement that we need to build much more housing, there is far less clarity about what a bold agenda to do so should look like. This convening is about laying out a path forward: what policies will move the needle, what’s holding us back, and what an ambitious housing agenda should look like.
The conversation builds on CAP’s Build, Baby, Build plan, which was released in November and outlines a new strategy to build 2 million additional homes in just five years while lowering rental and homebuying costs right away. The plan calls for:
Pushing communities to break down needless barriers to housing development by effectively freezing rental costs if they meet certain building targets
Supercharging innovation in housing materials and processes, as well as accelerating production of factory-built housing
Scaling successful programs proven to build homes at lower cost
Taking on anticompetitive and unfair practices, like junk fees that jack up rent and closing costs that add thousands of dollars to the cost of buying a home.
On Thursday, we’ll discuss these ideas and others with leaders who are shaping the housing debate right now. Join us for what should be a lively, practical, and future-focused conversation!
Best,
Chad Maisel Senior Fellow, Economic Policy Center for American Progress
The criminal investigation against Chair Jerome Powell threatens the independence of the Federal Reserve
Following reports that federal prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, Jared Bernstein, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and former chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, convened many of the country’s leading economists to speak out against this investigation. This included eight former chairs of the Council of Economic Advisers, including Ben S. Bernanke and Alan Greenspan, and four former secretaries of the treasury, including Janet Yellen and Timothy F. Geithner. Together they issued the following statement:
The Federal Reserve’s independence and the public’s perception of that independence are critical for economic performance, including achieving the goals Congress has set for the Federal Reserve of stable prices, maximum employment, and moderate long-term interest rates. The reported criminal inquiry into Federal Reserve Chair Jay Powell is an unprecedented attempt to use prosecutorial attacks to undermine that independence. This is how monetary policy is made in emerging markets with weak institutions, with highly negative consequences for inflation and the functioning of their economies more broadly. It has no place in the United States whose greatest strength is the rule of law, which is at the foundation of our economic success.
ICYMI: CAP panel explores the significance of the Iranian protests and assesses the implications of potential U.S. responses
Photo: Getty Images
For the past two weeks, nationwide antigovernment protests have swept Iran. In response, President Donald Trump has suggested the United States may intervene militarily, and the regime has threatened retaliation against U.S. interests. Jason Rezaian of The Washington Post, Gissou Nia of the Atlantic Council, CAP Senior Fellow Andew Miller, and CAP Senior Vice President Damian Murphy discuss the events and explore what impacts potential U.S. responses could have.
RSVP NOW: Putting Students Before Politics: A Conversation on the Future of America’s Education System With Rahm Emanuel
Education is the cornerstone of American prosperity. Yet in too many places across the country, leaders have chosen to score political points rather than focus on the real crisis facing our education system: the stark national decline in children’s ability to read, write, and do math. For Ambassador Rahm Emanuel, refocusing American education on outcomes over politics isn’t just an economic necessity; it’s a moral imperative. As mayor of Chicago, he pushed for greater school accountability, extended the instructional day, and raised the high school graduation rate by more than 30 percentage points by requiring postsecondary plans and college credits or career credentials for graduating seniors. His efforts contributed to nearly two-thirds of low-income children going to college.
Please join the Center for American Progress on Wednesday, January 21, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a conversation with Ambassador Emanuel moderated by CAP President and CEO Neera Tanden.
Last year, CAP developed a bold new plan to make Citizens United Irrelevantby redefining the powers corporations have in states. The “Corporate Power Reset” is being pursued in Montana, but the state’s Supreme Court just threw a curveball in this fight to protect elections from corporate and dark money.
CAP Senior Fellow Tom Moore breaks down this recent development in Montana:
The fight for the corporate power reset is just beginning, and we need your help. Please consider donating to support CAP as we fight to end dark money in politics in 2026 and beyond. With your help, we can end Citizens United.
