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Paul Ryan Unveils Anti-Poverty Reforms


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paul-ryan-unveils-anti-poverty-reforms_797329.html?nopager=1The Weekly Standard:

JOHN MCCORMACK

Jul 24, 2014

 

In a USA Today op-ed and speech at the American Enterprise Institute on Thursday, House budget committee chairman Paul Ryan unveiled his plans to reform anti-poverty programs.

 

At the center of the reforms is a proposal consolidate federal funding for up to 11 anti-poverty programs and give that money to states that request the opportunity to see if they can do a better job of fighting poverty. Ryan emphasized in his speech at AEI that a "state would get the same amount of money as under current law—not a penny less."

 

Ryan explained that "in effect, the state would say, 'Give us some space, and we can figure this out.' And the federal government would say, 'Go to it—on four conditions': First, you’ve got to spend that money on people in need—not roads, not bridges, no funny business. Second, every person who can work should work. Third, you’ve got to give people choices. The state welfare agency can’t be the only game in town. People must have at least one other option, whether it’s a non-profit, a for-profit, what have you. And fourth, you’ve got to test the results. The federal government and the state must agree on a neutral third party to keep track of progress. That’s the deal."

 

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Ryans Anti-Poverty Plan

7/25/14

 

President Obama famously accused Representative Paul Ryan (R., Wisc.) of thinly veiled Social Darwinism for one of his budgets. It will take a special kind of cynicism to make that claim about Ryans new anti-poverty proposal. Obamas partisans will no doubt find a way, but fair-minded observers will see a creative, thoughtful approach to a topic thats often politically neglected.

 

Ryan proposes and endorses a range of ideas to fix the safety net and address the root causes of poverty. He would offer states the option of an Opportunity Grant to replace, dollar for dollar, the amount of money they currently receive to implement most means-tested federal poverty programs (food stamps, housing assistance, utilities subsidies, etc.). States would then be allowed to come up with their own ways to spend this money on their poor residents, as long as they spend it on programs that require work, emphasize reaching self-sufficiency, and prove their effectiveness.

 

(Snip)

 

Paul Ryan led the way a few years ago by proposing to address the biggest driver of our looming federal debt crisis: Medicare. By the force of his intellect and commitment he brought his party along with him. More recently, other Republicans especially Senators Mike Lee and Marco Rubio have put forward ideas about how smaller and smarter government can advance the interests of the poor and the middle class. Now Ryan is offering more innovation. To the extent that these officeholders are trying to define the partys future and their own place within it, theyre engaged in a very healthy competition one that other Republicans ought to join.

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