Promoting Work Over Welfare
Welfare reform is about independence and dignity.
When done properly, it means preserving resources for the truly needy, safeguarding taxpayer dollars, and encouraging work for able-bodied adults.
America spends more than $100 billion on food stamps alone each year, and without program integrity measures in place, our current course has only trapped people in government dependence and denied millions the opportunity to pursue the American Dream.
The Biden administration’s unlawful food stamp expansion made the situation even worse, keeping an estimated 2.4 million Americans from choosing employment. Meanwhile, many state bureaucracies have exploited federal loopholes to suspend work requirements without cause.
To reverse this damaging trend, policymakers should restore program integrity and the life-changing power of work in all major welfare programs: food stamps, Medicaid, public housing, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
This problem isn’t just limited to food stamps. Medicaid, public housing, and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program all need reform, too. And the answer is a universal work requirement that can move 10 million able-bodied adults from welfare to work.
At the same time, integrity must be restored to these programs—anything less would be unsustainable for state budgets and would drown hardworking taxpayers.
A staggering one-fifth of Medicaid spending is “improper,” a result of fraud, abuse, or administrative errors. Adding to the pressure are millions of ineligible enrollees on the program that states cannot currently remove, no thanks to pandemic-era federal “handcuffs.” FGA’s welfare reform solutions are the answer.
- research
Waivers Gone Wild: Congress Must Crack Down On Food Stamp Loopholes
Despite nearly 10 million open jobs sitting unfilled nationwide, the number of able-bodied adults receiving food stamps remains near record-high levels.
READ MORE - commentary
End Biden’s Food-Stamp Expansion
Republicans have a golden opportunity to create jobs, control inflation and cut spending—all by fixing one broken welfare program.
READ MORE - research
Medicaid Mismanagement: How States Can Restore Integrity to the Program While Saving Taxpayers Billions
The Medicaid program was created to provide a safety net for truly needy Americans and was meant to be limited in nature. As a result, program eligibility was intended only for low-income children, pregnant women, individuals with disabilities, and seniors. But over the years, Medicaid eligibility requirements have been expanded countless times, causing the program to balloon in size.
READ MORE - one-pager
Dispelling Common Work Requirement Myths
Leftist activists presume that leaving welfare is a bad thing that leaves people worse off. Work requirements do not “punish” those in poverty—they encourage people to get off the sidelines and become self-sufficient.
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Our Welfare Reform Experts
Our Welfare Reform Research
At FGA, we don’t just talk about changing policy—we make it happen.
By partnering with FGA through a gift, you can create more policy change that returns America to a country where entrepreneurship thrives, personal responsibility is rewarded, and paychecks replace welfare checks.