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  • CHART: Paul Ryan Lays Out a Vision for Reforming Welfare, Fighting Poverty

    In his speech today at Cleveland State University, Representative Paul Ryan (R–WI) laid out a vision for reforming the nation’s approach to poverty. “With few exceptions, government’s approach has been to spend lots of money on centralized, bureaucratic, top-down anti-poverty programs,” Ryan stated. “The mindset behind this approach is that … More

    Must-Read Research: Obama Gutting Welfare Reform, Setting Spending Records

    Welfare spending is at a staggering, all-time high. A new government report confirms that the U.S. now spends roughly $1 trillion a year on what has become a behemoth welfare system consisting of more than 80 federal programs. Robert Rector explains more in congressional testimony from earlier this year: “Examining … More

    Five Questions for Education Secretary Duncan: How He Answered

    Prior to Education Secretary Arne Duncan’s speech at the National Press Club this past Tuesday, we issued five questions for the Secretary to answer. Here’s what Duncan had to say in regard to each of the five topics we presented: 1. Support for Education Unions In his speech, Duncan touched … More

    Five Questions for Education Secretary Arne Duncan

    On Tuesday morning, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will address the National Press Club. Here are five questions we’d like him to answer: You said the outcome of the Chicago teachers strike was “great for children.” Considering that the union hindered a merit-pay proposal that would have awarded the … More

    House Votes to Reverse Obama Administration’s Gutting of Welfare’s Work Requirements

    This afternoon, the House voted to restore the work requirements that the Obama Administration has attempted to gut from the 1996 welfare reform law. The breakdown: 250 Republicans voted for restoration and 164 Democrats voted against the resolution. The 1996 reform inserted work requirements into the largest federal cash assistance … More

    Food Stamp Participation Doubled Among Able-Bodied Adults After Obama Suspended Work Requirement

    A new report from the Congressional Research Service (CRS) confirms that food stamp participation doubled among able-bodied adults after the Obama Administration suspended the program’s work requirements. As Heritage’s Kiki Bradley notes: The welfare reform of 1996 requires that after three months on food stamps, recipients be engaged in some … More

    Texas Should Steer Clear of NCLB Waivers

    In a “surprise” move, Texas announced last Thursday that it would seek a No Child Left Behind (NCLB) waiver from the U.S. Department of Education. The Obama Administration’s waivers, touted under the banner of providing “flexibility” and “relief” from the onerous provisions of NCLB, in reality replace the federal overreach … More

    What’s Driving High Poverty Numbers?

    Today, the U.S. Census Bureau released its annual poverty numbers. It reports that 46.2 million Americans remain poor; the figure was unchanged from last year. The percentage of Americans who were poor remained at a near-record 15 percent. What we are sure to hear now is a cry from big-government … More

    Family Fact of the Week: Marriage Is the Greatest Weapon Against Child Poverty

    New research shows that marriage is the nation’s best antidote to child poverty. This holds true in every state across the country. On Wednesday, The Heritage Foundation introduced a new web page illustrating how marriage protects against child poverty. The new web page features 14 charts, a new Special Report … More

    Food Stamps Part of What Makes America Exceptional, Says the Left

    One in seven Americans is on food stamps. According to the left, this high rate of participation is part of what makes America exceptional. So boasts liberal political commentator Alan Colmes in Monday’s Wall Street Journal op-ed “How Democrats Made America Exceptional.” Since the food stamps program began in the … More