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Welfare Reform

Welfare reform is about independence and dignity.

Welfare reform done properly means preserving resources for the truly needy, safeguarding taxpayer dollars, and encouraging work for able-bodied adults.

Given the billions spent on food stamps alone each year, our current course has only trapped people in government dependence and denied millions the opportunity to pursue the American Dream.

The situation became more dire during the pandemic. With the expansion of food stamps, the U.S. workforce began to shrink even more due to lax or non-existent work requirements for able-bodied adults—a consequence of poor policy choices by the federal government and many states.

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.

Our Welfare Reform Experts
Jonathan Bain
Jonathan Bain

Senior Research Fellow

Jonathan Ingram
Jonathan Ingram

Vice President of Policy and Research

Sam Adolphsen
Sam Adolphsen

Policy Director

Scott Centorino
Scott Centorino

Senior Fellow

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.