Press Releases

This week, House Republicans unveiled a comprehensive plan to fight poverty by encouraging work, expanding opportunity and increasing government accountability.  This plan, referred to as “A Better Way to Fight Poverty,” is the product of several months of taskforce meetings and discussions.

 “For far too long, Washington has overpromised and under delivered for our poor.  Instead of expanding opportunities for individuals to harness skills, gain employment and earn money, their potential has been handicapped by shuffling them from welfare program to program.  This has resulted in a system that discourages work and one’s ability to break out of poverty.

Our plan, ‘A Better Way to Fight Poverty,’ reverses this mentality by rewarding work, tailoring benefits to people’s needs, improving job skills, investing in education, and encouraging individuals to plan and save for the future while demanding accountability and results.  I am honored to stand with my colleagues and offer up this bold plan to provide every American with the opportunity to succeed and prosper.”  

‘A Better Way to Fight Poverty’ incorporates stronger work requirements by requiring states to connect more people with good jobs, deliver better access to job training, provide skills development training for non-custodial parents and encourage work-capable adults who receive food stamps to work or prepare for work. 

Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, the plan recognizes that individuals have different needs.  Therefore, this plan provides flexibility to states in order to repackage benefits based off of one’s needs to help them achieve success.  For example, people receiving benefits will have greater portability with housing assistance so that they can move to areas with more jobs and opportunities. 

In an effort to protect the next generation from poverty, the plan focuses on improving schools and skills from early childhood development through college – especially focusing on at-risk youth.  The plan also reforms child nutrition programs to help those in rural and low-income areas.

Nearly 9.6 million households in America do not have bank accounts.  Unfortunately, the tools to save and prepare for the future remain out of reach for many Americans.  ‘A Better Way to Fight Poverty’ will make it easier for individuals and their families to plan for the future and be retirement-ready.

Under the leadership of Speaker Paul Ryan, members of the House Republican Conference have participated in regular taskforce meetings in an effort to address and combat our nation’s biggest challenges – including poverty, national security, the economy, the Constitution, healthcare and tax reform.  “A Better Way to Fight Poverty” is the first framework of ideas released.  House Republicans are scheduled to unveil more ideas over the next few months.

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