CO-SPONSORSHIP of the Welfare Reform Act of 2011

CO-SPONSORSHIP of the Welfare Reform Act of 2011

Senators Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), and David Vitter (R-La.) introduced the Welfare Reform Act of 2011 (S. 1904). The Welfare Reform Act would build on the successful 1996 reforms by encouraging independence and self-sufficiency, disclosing the full cost of America's welfare system and capping the overall costs. To help break the cycle of dependency, the Welfare Reform Act would also extend 1996-style work requirements to those on the Food Stamp Program.

According to The Heritage Foundation, total federal and state means-tested welfare spending in FY2010 amounted to $871 billion, around $19,000 per poor person. In our current economic and budgetary situation, welfare reform is essential. Over the past two decades, means-tested welfare spending has increased by 292 percent. The federal government now spends 13 times what it spent on welfare in the 1960s, and yet more people than ever are on food stamps and government assistance. Instead of empowering individuals, the current systems has led to increased dependency on government. The Welfare Reform Act would save $2.43 trillion by 2021 by gradually reducing the costs of the 77 existing welfare programs as unemployment decreases.

Heritage Action supports S. 1904 and will include CO-SPONSORSHIP of this legislation in our scorecard.

Related:

Heritage Action's Scorecard
Heritage: Welfare Reform: The Next Steps
Key Vote: Co-Sponsorship of the Welfare Reform Act of 2011 (House)
Press Release: Republicans Announce Welfare Reform Act of 2011