Opinion | Work requirements for welfare programs: A path to dignity, self-sufficiency, and fiscal responsibility – By Rep. Dan Newhouse {R-Wash} (The Hill) / April 25, 2023
Right now, there are more job openings in the United States than people looking for work. Allowing anyone to qualify for welfare when they simply don’t want to work isn’t making things any better. Medicaid and food stamps were originally designed as a safety net during a time of need. However, it has expanded much beyond its original intent and is now disincentivizing work for able-bodied adults. Congress must reorient these programs toward what they were originally designed to do — help Americans who are in need to be strong members of the workforce, earn a paycheck for their households, learn new skills, and reduce childhood poverty.
An estimated 40 million able-bodied adults are enrolled in Medicaid, and 64 percent of able-bodied adults receiving food stamps do not work at all. At the same time, there are over 10 million job openings in the U.S. Why, then, are hardworking taxpayers paying for people not to work while businesses across our communities remain significantly understaffed?
The current system is simply not working. Too many Americans are trapped in a cycle of poverty and dependency, and too many taxpayers are bearing the burden of this system. We owe it to both groups to do better.
