“Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is reportedly going squishy on entitlement reform. Maybe he thinks Republicans will lose votes—and seats—in what some believe could be a tough November election… There should be no hesitation when it comes to welfare reform. Like tax reform, welfare reform is something Republicans know how to do,” wrote our friend Dr. Merrill Matthews of the Institute for Policy Innovation.
Dr. Matthews gives as one example the 1996 welfare reform legislation, known as the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act.
“Liberals were horrified that anyone would even think of requiring a welfare recipient to do something in order to receive their benefits. And that attitude hasn’t changed in 30 years… [Wisconsin governor Tommy] Thompson’s welfare reform efforts became so successful that numerous other governors followed suit,” reminded Matthews.
Following such success, in 1996 when the GOP gained control of Congress, they passed a federal version of “workfare” which became roundly accepted as a tremendous success and which it took Democrats almost two decades to significantly roll back.
Whether it is Texas taking advantage of new federal policy allowing us to introduce some workfare rules into Medicaid or, whether it is Republicans in Congress passing reforms to entitlement programs, there is no reason for McConnell and our own Senator Cornyn to back away from such.
GOP past efforts have been very successful and have been seen as successful by voters.
No reason for team Cornyn/McConnell to back off on welfare reform
Dr. Matthews gives as one example the 1996 welfare reform legislation, known as the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act.
“Liberals were horrified that anyone would even think of requiring a welfare recipient to do something in order to receive their benefits. And that attitude hasn’t changed in 30 years… [Wisconsin governor Tommy] Thompson’s welfare reform efforts became so successful that numerous other governors followed suit,” reminded Matthews.
Following such success, in 1996 when the GOP gained control of Congress, they passed a federal version of “workfare” which became roundly accepted as a tremendous success and which it took Democrats almost two decades to significantly roll back.
Whether it is Texas taking advantage of new federal policy allowing us to introduce some workfare rules into Medicaid or, whether it is Republicans in Congress passing reforms to entitlement programs, there is no reason for McConnell and our own Senator Cornyn to back away from such.
GOP past efforts have been very successful and have been seen as successful by voters.