Jessica is a Federal Policy Analyst who supports ITEP with research and analysis of progressive tax priorities. Prior to joining ITEP in 2025, Jessica worked for the Center for American Progress, where she researched federal tax and budget policies. She graduated from Middlebury College with a degree in International Politics and Economics.

Recent Publications
There Were Far Cheaper and Fairer Options Than the Trump Megabill
July 8, 2025 • By Jessica Vela, Joe Hughes, Steve Wamhoff
Congress and the president could have spent less than half that much money on a tax bill that does more for working-class and middle-class households.
Analysis of Tax Provisions in the Trump Megabill as Signed into Law: National and State Level Estimates
July 7, 2025 • By Carl Davis, Jessica Vela, Joe Hughes, Steve Wamhoff
President Trump has signed into law the tax and spending “megabill” that largely favors the richest taxpayers and provides working-class Americans with relatively small tax cuts that will in many cases be more than offset by Trump's tariffs.