Chad Bolt

Chad Bolt is Senior Vice President for Economic Security at First Focus on Children. He has more than 17 years experience in public policy, both on Capitol Hill and in the non-profit sector. His career has focused on building economic opportunity for children and families through better tax and social insurance policy. 

Prior to joining First Focus on Children, Chad was a Legislative Assistant to Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH). Handling tax, Social Security, and pension policy, he staffed the Senator on several pieces of legislation that were enacted into law. This included the Social Security Fairness Act, which restored full Social Security benefits for 2.3 million public servants impacted by the former Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset; the Butch Lewis Act, which rescued the pensions and retirement security of one million union workers and retirees; and the American Rescue Plan, which temporarily expanded the Child Tax Credit, cutting chid poverty nearly in half in 2021.

As Staff Director of the Finance Committee's Social Security, Pensions, and Family Policy Subcommittee, Chad spearheaded efforts in Congress to reform the Supplemental Security Income program for the first time in four decades. Following the first Congressional hearing on the program in 20 years, he staffed Sen. Brown on the development and introduction of the bipartisan SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act, which would finally raise SSI's asset limit for the 7 million adults and 1 million children who rely on SSI. 

In the non-profit sector, Chad has led successful efforts to expand federal funding for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program and played a leading role in the 2017 effort to stop repeal of the Affordable Care Act. In an earlier stint in the Senate, Chad worked for Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), covering a range of issues that included reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in 2015.

Chad has a Master's degree in Applied Economics from the University of Maryland and a Bachelor's degree in Government and Political Affairs from Millersville University of Pennsylvania. He lives in Washington, DC but still roots for his Philadelphia Phillies, loves live music, and never misses a kickball game.