Latest news with #DataForProgress
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Congressman Says 'Nobody Asked For The IRS To Be Americans' Tax Preparer,' Applauds Efforts To Shut Down The IRS Direct File Program
Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO) is celebrating the House-passed bill that would shut down the Internal Revenue Service Direct File program, a free federal tool that allows Americans to file taxes online without paying private companies. 'Nobody asked for the IRS to be Americans' tax preparer, filer, and auditor,' Smith posted on X on June 24. 'The House-passed One, Big, Beautiful Bill puts an end to the IRS Direct File Program.'Don't Miss: GoSun's breakthrough rooftop EV charger already has 2,000+ units reserved — become an investor in this $41.3M clean energy brand today. Invest early in CancerVax's breakthrough tech aiming to disrupt a $231B market. Back a bold new approach to cancer treatment with high-growth potential. Despite Smith's remarks, the Direct File program has received broad support from taxpayers and voters across the political spectrum. According to a Data for Progress poll conducted in April, 82% of likely voters said they support expanding Direct File to all Americans. That includes 80% of Republicans, 85% of Independents, and 81% of Democrats. The IRS launched Direct File using Inflation Reduction Act funds. It started as a small pilot in 12 states during the 2024 tax season and expanded to 25 states in 2025, serving 32 million eligible users. The tool was described as secure, simple, and always free. Kitty Richards, senior fellow at the Groundwork Collaborative, a progressive economic policy group, said Direct File was 'a crystal clear example of government efficiency at work. Taxpayers shouldn't have to pay exorbitant fees to predatory for-profit companies just to file their taxes.' According to Groundwork, IRS data and user surveys also backed the program's popularity. In 2024, 90% of surveyed users rated their experience as excellent or above average, and most reported filing in under an hour. By their estimates, Direct File saved taxpayers $5.6 million in fees during its first full rollout, and every dollar invested returned $160 in savings. Trending: This Jeff Bezos-backed startup will allow you to become a landlord in just 10 minutes, with minimum investments as low as $100. When news broke out in April that the Trump administration plans to discontinue Direct File for the 2026 tax season, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) called Direct File a 'massive success' that removed unnecessary middlemen. He accused President Donald Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent of 'robbing regular American families to pay back lobbyists that spend millions to make tax filing more expensive and more difficult.' Staff working on the program were reportedly told weeks earlier that they would no longer be needed. The Department of Government Efficiency, once led by Tesla CEO (NASDAQ:TSLA) Elon Musk, reportedly played a role in weakening the IRS program. Musk posted in February that the Direct File development team had been 'deleted.' Meanwhile, the program critics like David Williams of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance argued that the IRS overstepped by building Direct File without explicit approval. 'The IRS created Direct File without congressional approval,' Williams wrote in April. 'In fact, the $15M from the Inflation Reduction Act was supposed to be for a study. Instead, the IRS built the software.' Still, many policy advocates and voters say the program filled a real need and made tax season less stressful. See Next: $100k in assets? Maximize your retirement and cut down on taxes: Schedule your free call with a financial advisor to start your financial journey – no cost, no obligation. Warren Buffett once said, "If you don't find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die." Here's how you can earn passive income with just $ Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Congressman Says 'Nobody Asked For The IRS To Be Americans' Tax Preparer,' Applauds Efforts To Shut Down The IRS Direct File Program originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Congressman Says 'Nobody Asked For The IRS To Be Americans' Tax Preparer,' Applauds Efforts To Shut Down The IRS Direct File Program
Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO) is celebrating the House-passed bill that would shut down the Internal Revenue Service Direct File program, a free federal tool that allows Americans to file taxes online without paying private companies. 'Nobody asked for the IRS to be Americans' tax preparer, filer, and auditor,' Smith posted on X on June 24. 'The House-passed One, Big, Beautiful Bill puts an end to the IRS Direct File Program.'Don't Miss: GoSun's breakthrough rooftop EV charger already has 2,000+ units reserved — become an investor in this $41.3M clean energy brand today. Invest early in CancerVax's breakthrough tech aiming to disrupt a $231B market. Back a bold new approach to cancer treatment with high-growth potential. Despite Smith's remarks, the Direct File program has received broad support from taxpayers and voters across the political spectrum. According to a Data for Progress poll conducted in April, 82% of likely voters said they support expanding Direct File to all Americans. That includes 80% of Republicans, 85% of Independents, and 81% of Democrats. The IRS launched Direct File using Inflation Reduction Act funds. It started as a small pilot in 12 states during the 2024 tax season and expanded to 25 states in 2025, serving 32 million eligible users. The tool was described as secure, simple, and always free. Kitty Richards, senior fellow at the Groundwork Collaborative, a progressive economic policy group, said Direct File was 'a crystal clear example of government efficiency at work. Taxpayers shouldn't have to pay exorbitant fees to predatory for-profit companies just to file their taxes.' According to Groundwork, IRS data and user surveys also backed the program's popularity. In 2024, 90% of surveyed users rated their experience as excellent or above average, and most reported filing in under an hour. By their estimates, Direct File saved taxpayers $5.6 million in fees during its first full rollout, and every dollar invested returned $160 in savings. Trending: This Jeff Bezos-backed startup will allow you to become a landlord in just 10 minutes, with minimum investments as low as $100. When news broke out in April that the Trump administration plans to discontinue Direct File for the 2026 tax season, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) called Direct File a 'massive success' that removed unnecessary middlemen. He accused President Donald Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent of 'robbing regular American families to pay back lobbyists that spend millions to make tax filing more expensive and more difficult.' Staff working on the program were reportedly told weeks earlier that they would no longer be needed. The Department of Government Efficiency, once led by Tesla CEO (NASDAQ:TSLA) Elon Musk, reportedly played a role in weakening the IRS program. Musk posted in February that the Direct File development team had been 'deleted.' Meanwhile, the program critics like David Williams of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance argued that the IRS overstepped by building Direct File without explicit approval. 'The IRS created Direct File without congressional approval,' Williams wrote in April. 'In fact, the $15M from the Inflation Reduction Act was supposed to be for a study. Instead, the IRS built the software.' Still, many policy advocates and voters say the program filled a real need and made tax season less stressful. See Next: $100k in assets? Maximize your retirement and cut down on taxes: Schedule your free call with a financial advisor to start your financial journey – no cost, no obligation. Warren Buffett once said, "If you don't find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die." Here's how you can earn passive income with just $ Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Congressman Says 'Nobody Asked For The IRS To Be Americans' Tax Preparer,' Applauds Efforts To Shut Down The IRS Direct File Program originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Forbes
2 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Why New Yorkers Want Public Grocery Stores
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 24: New York mayoral candidate, State Rep. Zohran Mamdani (D-NY) speaks to ... More supporters during an election night gathering. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) Getty Images The Democratic mayoral primary victory of New York City's Zohran Mandani has attracted global attention. The 33 year old from Queens won due to an impressive grassroots field campaign and a focus on economic justice issues. At the top of that agenda are publicly-owned grocery stores, which would be a first for the sprawling metropolis. But New York City already has thousands of grocery stores. Why would America's largest city want to road test such a plan? Mamdani's proposal would establish a pilot program of municipal grocery stores with the goal of providing affordable groceries to New Yorkers. Recent polling from Data for Progress and Batul Hassan of the Climate and Community Institute (CCI) shows the idea resonating with New Yorkers. Two-thirds of New York City voters (66%) support a proposal to create municipal grocery stores, including a strong majority of Democrats (72%), as well as a majority of Independents (64%) and Republicans (54%). Grocery costs are a top concern for New Yorkers. Climate and Community Institute/Data For Progress The polling found that 85% of New Yorkers are paying more for groceries now compared to last year and 91% of New Yorkers are concerned about how inflation impacts what they pay to get food on the table. Four out of five households in New York report finding it harder to afford groceries over the last year. More than half of all families struggle to cover basic expenses. These household economic strains are at crisis levels, and the private sector cannot solve for them in the current economic climate. Two-thirds of New Yorkers polled (66%) support the creation of municipal grocery stores in New York ... More City. Climate and Community Institute/Data For Progress Syndicated market data from NIQ shows that grocery prices have spiked over 32% since 2019. Prices have shot up even higher in many ultra processed food categories such as snacks, frozen foods and meat that make up over 60% of America's calories. Such categories are usually dominated by a handful of companies. Market concentration in the grocery industry has enabled processed food conglomerates to raise prices and generate enormous profits, all while actual food consumption has been stagnant since 2019, vastly increasing food insecurity. According to CCI's Hassan, the resources needed to establish a public grocery program are infrastructure within the city's control. Grocery store planning and rollout would be driven by communities, incorporating the food preferences of people in the neighborhoods. Some grocers have expressed skepticism at the idea, including the billionaire owner of Gristedes and D'Agostinos, who has threatened to close stores. But publicly owned grocery stores are quite common and already exist at scale—in the U.S. military. Every branch of the military has its own public grocery system, called an exchange or PX, that provides goods and services for enlistees. These include groceries, commissaries, department stores, gas stations and convenience stores, the same services that many full service grocers provide for civilians. The exchanges provide basic consumable goods, tax-free, and generate over $4.6 billion in annual revenue across 236 commissaries. This size enables commissaries to leverage supply chain efficiencies at the level of any national grocery chain. If the PX were a U.S. grocery chain, it would rank in the top 20 by sales nationally. How much of a stretch would it be to municipalize such the PX model, especially if there were a large scale, committed effort to build multiple locations quickly and create the efficiencies of scale to make it viable? Exchanges keep their costs down by operating as cost (not profit) centers, with a 2-3% percent gross margin, while budgeting labor and administrative expenses, rent, occupancy and utility costs centrally and not through each operating unit. This math means exchange prices can be 30% lower than typical retail prices, and saved military families and veterans over $1.6 billion in 2023. By comparison, independent and specialty grocers typically run at 35-40% gross margins, while national chains such as Walmart and Kroger run at 22-25%, all to cover their costs and generate a thin profit margin, usually 2-5% of sales. Lower costs and massive profits are the result of massive sales volumes that give bigger chains market power with suppliers, especially due to lax enforcement of antitrust laws such as Robinson Patman. This is also why smaller independent grocery operators, such as those that dominate the New York Metro area, typically have higher prices and high operating costs. Like a post exchange, a civilian-facing public grocery option could take some of these costs out of the consumer price equation. FT. BELVOIR, VA - MAY 31: Commissary at Ft. Belvoir in Ft. Belvoir, VA. (Photo by Bill O'Leary/The ... More Washington Post via Getty Images) The Washington Post via Getty Images Military exchanges still rely on the same supply chains as the private sector, stocking familiar brands and products. For example, the wholesaler SpartanNash, which was just acquired by C&S Wholesale, is a large supplier to military exchanges. A network of New York City public grocery stores could leverage city purchasing power to negotiate strong wholesale contracts and keep markups low, as well as buying food directly from local growers and producers in the Northeast. And public grocers could require vendors to meet values-based purchasing standards, such as those being implemented in New York City's public schools. Such standards emphasize healthier, whole food options, fair wages for workers, environmental impacts and diversifying supply chains. In South Korea, such public investment in 'precautionary' supply chains ensures that public institutions have access to healthy, safe and sustainably grown products. In New York City, it could mean healthier options are also the most affordable, turning typical grocery value chains on their head. Public grocery stores could therefore operationalize the Right To Food, an idea supported by over 80% of Americans. A public grocery option would not be a utility, which would imply a monopoly. New York would still have a thriving and diverse grocery sector, from Food Bazaar to Trader Joe's, to thousands of immigrant-owned bodegas, even Gristedes- if they want to stay open. Nor would it be a charity vehicle, dependent on donated or lower quality products from grocers, wholesalers and processors. A public grocery sector could instead be a backstop, a vital public service and an expansion of the safety net in the tradition of the New Deal, one that bridges affordability and access for cash-strapped New Yorkers. With the Trump Administration delivering a one-two-three punch of raising grocery prices through tariffs and trade wars, sharply cutting back on SNAP food assistance and not enforcing antitrust laws to ensure fair competition, a public grocery option presents a proven, pragmatic and timely policy solution. In an era of constant supply chain crisis and disruption, Mamdani's idea for public grocers is not any more radical than the Pentagon. But it has captured the imagination of hard-working New Yorkers hungry for change.
Middle East Eye
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Poll: Democratic voters overwhelmingly want restrictions on military aid to Israel
New polling data from 745 likely Democratic voters across the US has shown that 71% of them want to see restrictions on military aid to Israel "until it stops attacks on civilians in Gaza, supports Palestinian rights, and commits to a long-term peace process." The poll, conducted by Data For Progress and published by Zeteo, was carried out from 9 - 14 April using SMS and web panel respondents. The sample was weighted to be representative of likely Democratic primary voters by age, gender, education, race, and geography, and the margin of error associated with the sample size is ±4 percentage points.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Democrats see an opening on the economy after Trump's trade war wreaks havoc on global markets
Democrats are targeting Donald Trump's weakened standing on the economy — even after the president paused his far-reaching reciprocal tariff policy that reverberated across global markets. In interviews with more than a dozen Democratic lawmakers, congressional staffers and media strategists, many in the party see a prime opportunity to attack Trump on a key campaign promise they argue he's failing to deliver — a message likely to be featured prominently in political ads if the economy continues to falter. Some candidates are already hitting tariffs in campaign launch ads, while the party is planning to capitalize on anger over the economy, among other issues, in upcoming town halls. It's an opportunity for Democrats on the economy, a major point of strength for Trump in his presidential campaign last year, even as they conceded the economic crisis had eased somewhat after the president paused some — but not all — tariffs on most countries. On Thursday afternoon, Trump clarified that the combined tariffs on Chinese goods is now at 145 percent. Most other nations will be subject to the 10 percent baseline tariff the administration levied last week. The markets reacted accordingly, with stocks plummeting at the end of the day. Now, Democrats are banking on rising panic in worldwide markets and fears of a recession to knock Republicans down. 'We heard for five freaking months going into the last election, people beating up Biden and Harris about inflation, and the price of fucking eggs,' said longtime Democratic pollster Cornell Belcher, who worked on both of Barack Obama's presidential campaigns. 'So why the hell would we make [ads] about tariffs, as opposed to making it about the economy?' He said Trump is presenting one of the most favorable gateways to Democrats in recent history, imploring Democrats not to squander the week of earned media about a near-global market implosion. 'There is an opportunity here, of historical proportions, given the advantage on the economy writ large that Republicans have had for decades,' he added. 'You see Trump underwater on handling the economy and fighting inflation and bringing down costs – that is a major opening and a historic way for Democrats to take away what has been a major positive for Republicans.' And recent polling backs up that claim that voters are waning on Trump's economic stewardship. An Economist/YouGov poll of about 1,700 American adults released Wednesday showed Trump's overall approval rating drop five percentage points from last week, combined with a four percentage-point drop in his handling of the economy. A poll from the Democratic group Navigator Research released Tuesday also showed 55 percent of 1,000 registered voters disapproving of Trump's handling of the economy, an eight percentage-point swing since the group's last poll in March. Another recent poll from the liberal group Data For Progress also showed a majority disapprove of Trump's handling of the economy. Not every poll showed dramatic changes. In a poll of 1,400 registered voters released Wednesday that was conducted April 3-7 from Quinnipiac, Trump's handling of the economy and his overall approval rating remained steady or dropped only slightly. Democrats and their affiliated groups are already blaming Trump for his scattershot tariff rollout as a way to pummel vulnerable Republicans in elections later this year and heading into the midterms. Hours before Trump announced the tariff pause, the Democratic-aligned super PAC American Bridge released audio of Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, the GOP gubernatorial nominee, praising Trump's tariff plan. Democrat Mike Sacks announced his candidacy Wednesday in a nearly two and a half minute ad. It featured an image of the word 'tariff' nine times in bold red font along with a crimson-color graphic of a stock market plunging that was superimposed over the face of his opponent, incumbent Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), widely considered one of the most vulnerable House Republicans next cycle. The Democratic-aligned group Families Over Billionaires, a nonprofit, is putting six figures into an ad running on social media and streaming platforms bashing the Trump administration over tax plans, and Democrats are planning a new round of town halls in GOP-held House districts over the upcoming recess. Democrats argue the upheaval Trump injected into the economy undercuts the central premise that he campaigned on: that as a businessperson would be best positioned to grow the economy. 'The one thing that American voters want is security and safety. What they don't want is chaos and uncertainty,' said Alex Jacquez, a former economic adviser to former president Biden who is now chief of policy for Groundwork Collaborative. 'I think why you've seen such rapid deterioration on his approvals on the economy and on cost of living, tariffs and trade, is because not a single action that he has taken has been in service of addressing people's number one concern, which is cost of living.' And that is precisely what has Democratic admakers salivating. 'Keep it simple and keep it tangible and keep it relatable to everyone's lives here,' said veteran media strategist Julian Mulvey, who has cut ads for Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris. He urged Democrats and affiliated groups to not overcomplicate their messaging by talking about esoteric economic concepts like supply chains and capital markets. Instead, he referenced the 'you break it, you own it' doctrine of politics. 'Trump is sort of charging headlong into breaking the economy and, and he's going to find out when he does,' he said. 'Or in the modern vernacular: fuck around and find out.' The White House, meanwhile, criticized the Democrats' planned strategy. 'President Trump is the first president in modern American history to take decisive action to finally corner China and restore American Greatness,' White House spokesperson Kush Desai said in a statement. 'If Democrats see an opportunity in President Trump and Republicans standing up for everyday Americans and restoring American Greatness, they're headed for a worse election night than November 5, 2024.' Several Democratic media strategists acknowledged it's too early to say what the economy will look like when prime time campaign season hits. But that hasn't stopped progressive strategists like Chuck Rocha from storyboarding what the anti-Trump attack ads will look like in the coming months. 'The best way to deliver the ad is from one of his voters, a white guy in his 50s who works in a steel mill, works at whatever the place down the street is that says: 'Look, I don't really care about either party. I voted for Donald Trump because I thought he would change a rigged system,' Rocha said of a hypothetical ad that features someone speaking directly to camera. 'But he's even rigging it more, and he's rigging it for himself.' And that's on top of the party's already established playbook around Elon Musk's sledgehammer to government. Some Democratic ad-makers said Commerce Secretary Howard Lutinck's comments about "fraudsters" getting Social Security checks was bound to backfire. It's something that's caught the attention of lawmakers too, including Steven Horsford (D-Nev.), who won reelection in a key swing state that Trump flipped last year. The representative is one of 26 Democrats that the Republican campaign arm is targeting in the midterms. 'Market manipulation … that's what happened,' Horsford said on Wednesday. 'On the same day that they're screwing America.' Horsford was referring to Trump's social media post this week where the president proclaimed: 'THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY."
