For Immediate Release: November 16, 2011
Office of U.S. Senator Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina)
Contact: Wesley Denton (202) 228-5079
Republicans Announce Welfare Reform Act of 2011
Saves $2.43 trillion, ensures food stamps used for essential items, ends budget gimmicks, prevents taxpayer funding of abortion
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina) announced that he would soon introduce the Welfare Reform Act of 2011 with original cosponsors including U.S. Senators Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma), Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Jim Inhofe (R-Oklahoma), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Rand Paul (R-Kentucky), Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama), and David Vitter (R-Louisiana). Companion legislation has been offered in the U.S. House by U.S. Representative Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).
Over the past two decades the growth in means-tested welfare spending (292%) has outpaced the combined growth of Medicare and Social Security spending (213%) as well as the growth in education (143%) and defense spending (126%). The Welfare Reform Act of 2011 would save $2.43 trillion by 2021 by gradually reducing the costs of the 77 existing welfare programs as unemployment decreases.
Senator DeMint said: “With record levels of federal spending and record levels of Americans in poverty and using food stamps, it’s hard not to conclude that federal welfare programs are failing,” said Senator DeMint. “We don’t help Americans by making them dependent on Washington for a handout, we need more Americans empowered to stand on their own with a job in a vibrant economy. We need to reform our welfare programs to encourage self-sufficiency. We can also save taxpayers trillions of dollars that they can use to invest in our economy to create jobs and donate to local charities that have better success at lifting Americans out of poverty.”
Senator Vitter said: “One of the most significant substantive accomplishments coming out of the 1994 Republican takeover of Congress was welfare reform. But as significant as this reform was, we are overdue to renew welfare reform efforts and make additional gains because the welfare state has grown enormously since then – even factoring out recessions.”
Senator Lee said: “Failure to reform these programs puts them at risk. The spending is unsustainable and it will affect our ability to afford other national priorities. Making reasonable changes today will allow us to avoid much more painful decisions in the future.”
Senator Inhofe said: “Our nation’s welfare programs are in desperate need of reform, and this measure provides a good approach. Welfare programs are costing American taxpayers far too much while providing little benefit beyond keeping individuals and families dependent. These reforms will empower individuals to improve their situation by encouraging and promoting greater self sufficiency. It also holds the federal government accountable for how it spends taxpayer dollars. I am pleased to join my colleagues in this effort to improve the situation many Americans have found themselves in during a difficult economy.”
In fiscal year 2011, total government spending on means-tested welfare spending will reach $909 billion per year. Federal spending comprises about three-quarters of this spending at $701 billion, with states contributing an additional $208 billion. This spending spans more than 70 means-tested programs for the poor including health programs like Medicaid and CHIP, housing programs, TANF, food stamps, and education programs, including HEAD Start.
The Welfare Reform Act of 2011 would:
- Place an aggregate spending cap on all means-tested welfare spending at pre-stimulus 2007 levels (indexed for inflation) effective by 2015 or when unemployment falls below 7.5%.
- Enforce a spending cap through the budget resolution, and saves $2.43 trillion over 10 years relative to President Obama’s Budget according to the Heritage Foundation.
- Provide for transparency in our welfare state by requiring the President’s budget to disclose the total means-tested welfare expenditures contained in the 77 existing programs.
- Require the Secretary of Agriculture to ensure that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) limits the use of food stamps to essential foods, ending the use of food stamps at fast food restaurants.
- Remove the 13.6% increase in food stamp benefits created by the President’s 2009 Stimulus law.
- Reallocate $300 million of current welfare spending towards grants to states that successfully reduce poverty and increase self-sufficiency.
- Prevent federal funding of abortion in any of the 77 means-tested welfare programs.
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By Question November 16, 2011 at 5:04 pm
How long till we welfare reform corporations?
If the Dems were smart(and they’re not) they’d put a rider on the bill to stop all the bailouts of the banksters.
I’m sure the Republicans would retaliate by adding another rider stopping bailout of all the “GM”‘s out there too…since if they donaters are taking it up the pooper you better believe they are gonna spread the pain around and target union Dem supporters too.
By Question November 16, 2011 at 5:13 pm
edit: “their donaters”
By Billy Bob November 16, 2011 at 6:46 pm
Hey Senators!! News flash!! Why not pass Warren Buffett’s Plan??
Warren Buffett, “I could end the deficit in 5 minutes,” he told CNBC. “You just pass a law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more than 3% of GDP, all sitting members of Congress are ineligible for re-election. The 26th amendment (granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds) took only 3 months & 8 days to be ratified! Why? Simple! The people demanded it. That was in 1971…before computers, e-mail, cell phones, etc. Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took 1 year or less to become the law of the land…all because of public pressure.
Warren Buffet is asking each addressee to forward this email to a minimum of twenty people on their address list; in turn ask each of those to do likewise. In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message. This is one idea that really should be passed around.
*Congressional Reform Act of 2011*
1. No Tenure / No Pension. A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.
2. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security. All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people. It may not be used for any other purpose.
3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.
4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.
5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.
6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.
7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective 1/1/12. The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen. Congressmen made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours
should serve their term’s), then go home and back to work.
By Kevin Aslanian November 16, 2011 at 10:45 pm
There is only one welfare program in America – TANF. That is aid to por families. To say that there are 70 programs that are welfare is a a LIE. Welfare is when somebody gets money that they can use to meet their needs. Most of these 70 programs are money to state and local governments, bureaucracies and and corporations that make major donations (bribes) who then let a few pennies reach the poor.They do create a lot of jobs and shutting down these programs will mean increasing unemployment – but they are not welfare.
The only welfare program like we said above is TANF. Under TANF, which is the republican favorite “block grant to the state” works great for the state, but it is a disaster for the poor. Before TANF 70% of the money went to payments to families. Under TANF only 30% is used for payments to families. The rest is used to balance the state budgets and for the welfare bureaucracy that republicans adore.
The real welfare program that Republicans do not dare touch are the programs that benefits the people and corporations that make contributions (bribes) to their campaigns.
By Hungry Hungry Hippo November 16, 2011 at 11:21 pm
“The real welfare program that Republicans do not dare touch are the programs that benefits the people and corporations that make contributions (bribes) to their campaigns.”
All true, but via omission you are a bit deceitful because you don’t also include the Democrats as well in your diatribe.
By Crooner November 17, 2011 at 1:48 pm
Welfare reform is like tort reform: it ignores the human beings who are affected.
Notice this release makes no mention of how individuals currently receiving benefits are to be helped. Perhaps they should all go get a job. But with unemployment near 10%, where shall they look? Is there day care assistance for single parents, so that they might provide for their families? Or should single parents expect to pay 80% of their after-tax income on child care?
Like tort reform- what part of the measures being suggested by the right have anything to do with preventing people from being injured by the negligence of others?
By Jim November 21, 2011 at 2:46 pm
Oh please! These people on government handouts are raping the working class by having numerous children and living off of our hard-earned tax money! Welfare is supposed to get people back on their feet not supply them with money so they can get their nalis done and buy their big-screen TV’s. It makes me sick! Me and many other Americans are suckers because we chose to work 2-3 jobs in order to make ends meet. Instead the freeloaders are making out better than we are. Free college (liberal scolarships and reduced tuition), free food (WIC, SNAP and food stamps which are used at restaurants which working people use thier paychecks for), free transportation and free daycare even though they don’t need because they don’t work. Welfare reform is imperitive to save the working class and this country.
By fred November 21, 2011 at 8:52 pm
These guys should wear white sheets. Except Graham, as pink would look stunning on him.
By Humanitarian November 26, 2011 at 12:18 pm
As someone who personally provides direct and full support (a home, food, clothes, transportation, education, etc) to young adults and young families who genuinely desire to break the cycle, I KNOW how badly our welfare system fails to provide the assistance that is intended. In the past 15 years, I have dedicated my time, energy, and money — without any type of financial subsidy or even a tax credit — to hundreds of disadvantaged young adults. By giving them the opportunity to learn basic life skills, skills that we all must possess to pursue the American dream, these kids are able to break the cycle. But, without that direct assistance and mentoring, there is NO WAY they can “get out” of the system. The stupidity of people who believe that “freeloaders” simply need to “get a job” only adds to the problem and demonstates the lack of understanding of the complexity of the problem. It starts with education — and we are failing in that regard. We can’t expect (much less “demand”) that those who are dependent upon welfare “get a job” when they lack the ability to read or to drive or to do the basic math skills needed to balance a family budget. We can’t demand or expect change when these disadvantaged individuals have to rely on a 3rd grade vocabulary; they can’t even FULLY understand the local news broadcast! From slum landlords who take advantage of a lack of understanding about housing laws to teachers who have given up and are simply putting in their time to pull a pay-check, the disadvantaged have next to no chance of breaking the cycle without private intervention. Welfare reform is an absolute necessity, but if it isn’t done smartly this time around, it’s just another waste of our time and resources — including human resources otherwise known as the very people we hope to help. There’s NOTHING wrong with needing help; but it’s a crime and a sin to provide “help” that does more harm than good.
I could give example after example of real-life situations I’ve personally experienced with those who I refer to as my “kids,” such as the 18 year old young man who couldn’t read or write his own name, who lacked a sufficient vocabulary to explain himself to a doctor in order to have his Bipolar disorder diagnosed to allow him the medication he needed to be able to function “normally,” who had NO possibility of guiding his infant son to a better life, but who COULD use his food stamps to buy chips, soda, twinkies, and other junk. This was not a “stupid” kid; in fact, he is VERY intelligent and LOVES to learn. After 3 years of personal mentoring, he is now on his way to success, and welfare had NOTHING to do with it. It’s because he found someone who cared enough to help, to guide, to mentor, and to support — all things that our government does not do.
Until we stop expecting “these people” to do the impossible by themselves, we won’t solve the problem. And until we actually understand the REAL problem, we only perpetuate it generation after generation.