You don’t have to look far, anywhere in America, to see what poverty looks like. For many living in poverty, another way of life is something on TV and seemingly out of reach.
In his 1964 State of the Union Address, President Lyndon B. Johnson declared an “unconditional war on poverty in America.” Census data, while well-intentioned, show that 52 years and trillions of dollars later, the official poverty rate in 2014 (14.8%) was no better than it was in 1966 (14.7%).
Should we do the same thing? Or find a better way? A way where parents and their children can see themselves fulfilling their dreams and making the most of their talents and abilities. A way where everyone can take advantage of the opportunity that is America.
Over the past few months, House Republicans have taken the best ideas from across the country and developed a more effective way to fight poverty in our country.
We have put forward a plan, an agenda called “A Better Way.” This “better way” offers struggling Americans expanded opportunity—not expanded government.
Much of this plan focuses on motivating and rewarding work. No one who needs lend a hand should be penalized for taking a job or getting promoted at work.
The most productive reform for every able man is employment. In a petite town in southern Ohio, beneath a attractive mural of men at work, are the words, “To rejoice in his work, for it is the gift of God.”
Yet I have heard time and again in Ohio and America that for many people on government assistance, working does not always pay off. For many, climbing the ladder at work results in drastic cuts in government assistance all at once, making it more beneficial not to work at all. Why do we punish people simply because they have shown potential and worked rigid?
At Bethany House Shelter in Cincinnati, many women report frustration with the federal system. Often, when a job opportunity arises, they face losing their children’s health insurance.
In essence, these women are being punished for trying to improve their lives, and instead find themselves in a government system that paralyzes their future.
It should never be that way. That’s why the House Republicans’ Better Way plan proposes a more modest “sliding scale” for government benefits: As your income increases, benefits are slowly reduced to ensure you’re always in the black. Hard work, success, and personal achievement should be recognized and rewarded, not used as barriers.
Our Better Way plan includes more of the same changes at the federal level that are key to lifting people up and out of poverty, but our plan also highlights the essential role that local actors play in helping the destitute in our communities. In southern Ohio, employers, charities, and other groups are on the front lines fighting poverty and giving people the opportunity to achieve the American dream.
Take Nehemiah Manufacturing, one of our petite businesses in Cincinnati. Since its founding in 2009, Nehemiah has partnered with local social service agencies to create 100 novel jobs specifically for “second-chance workers”—people who have had trouble finding employment because of criminal records, irregular work histories, and/or little training and education. I’ve gotten to know many of the proud, hard-working people at Nehemiah who contribute to the company’s success.
Those 100 novel jobs equal 100 opportunities for meaningful work. A hundred chances to achieve the American dream. A hundred lives changed for the better. Many more await.
Together, with common sense and dedication to each other, we can do more. There is a better way. Find out more at www.lepszy.gop.
