Issues

The future of energy production and consumption is a priority for Center Forward and policy influencers. We convene conversations on ways to reduce costs for consumers and explore new ways to provide safe, reliable, and affordable energy. Additionally, policymakers and public policy advocates regularly join Center Forward for conversations focusing on sustainability, renewable energy alternatives, electric vehicles, plastics and recycling infrastructure, and environmental justice.

The financial landscape is constantly evolving, and it is important to stay informed about the latest developments. Center Forward regularly convenes discussions and forums on various topics related to finance. Interested parties have joined the conversation, bringing their expertise to federal regulatory rule-making, private equity issues, cryptocurrency, mergers and acquisitions, and fairness and equity in capital markets. These discussions seek to provide a deeper understanding of the issues and explore potential solutions that could benefit consumers, investors, and the economy as a whole. The importance of these topics cannot be overstated, as they have far-reaching implications for businesses, financial institutions, and individuals alike.

Health care has been the primary focus of staff briefings, discussions, salon dinners, and policy papers. A wide range of partners have come together to discuss topics such as the Health Insurance Tax, rare diseases, Medicare Advantage, medical innovations, genomics, and user fees, among others. Center Forward convenes healthcare-specific programming to facilitate discussions with those who are committed to lowering costs, improving quality, and expanding access to care.

American innovation and ingenuity are driven by entrepreneurs and thinkers who, at their very core, work every day to improve the lives of people and innovate to solve the world’s greatest challenges. Center Forward recognizes the importance of promoting an ecosystem where innovation can continue to flourish and where the government supports rather than stifles this important research and development. Whether the conversation centers on health care, technology, finance, energy, space, housing, food, and agriculture, or others, Center Forward regularly convenes and coordinates programming around the country to share with policymakers the crucial innovation that is already happening and the important work to be done that could spur the next exciting breakthrough.

At a time when divisive political rhetoric is at an all-time high, Center Forward continues to bring together leaders at the federal, state, and local levels of government who are working to build bipartisan consensus on a wide array of issues. Commonsense partners regularly join Center Forward for dialogue, conferences, briefings, and public forums to discuss their work to advance common-sense policy solutions in a heated partisan climate.

Center Forward has taken a non-partisan approach to tax reform, bringing together experts from different fields to discuss critical tax issues. We have conducted qualitative and quantitative research projects across the country and shared the results with interested parties including key players in both chambers of Congress. Our work focuses on tax rate issues, the performance of the IRS, as well as the global minimum tax, GILTI, FDII, and other related issues. Center Forward believes in building consensus and promoting economic opportunity through our work on tax reform.

Trade policy has been the topic of numerous panels, Issues Conference discussions, and public forums hosted by Center Forward. The global economy has been reshaped by supply chain disruptions and the ways in which markets interact at both the macro- and micro-level have changed forever. Center Forward trade policy events bring together policymakers, influencers, and third-party stakeholders to discuss ways that private and public sectors can work together to create jobs and promote growth.

The challenges facing the U.S. education and workforce pipeline are significant, and the importance of proactive bipartisan action to address these challenges cannot be overstated. Center Forward regularly explores ideas and proposals related to skills and jobs training programs, creative employee benefits, and other future work developments that can help people access livable-wage jobs and thrive in a growing economy. Policymakers, economists, business leaders, government officials, and public policy advocates regularly join Center Forward to discuss a variety of issues related to this topic. These conversations seek to identify innovative solutions that can address the workforce challenges of today and tomorrow.

In addition to a number of the core issues that Center Forward focuses on in its work, programming features several other timely and key topics including broadband and connectivity, cannabis, cybersecurity, regulatory reform, harm reduction, immigration, diversity, equity, and inclusion, campaign finance, and electoral reform, small business issues, antitrust, and social policies including paid family leave, housing, and labor and worker issues.