U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means

10/20/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/20/2021 12:37

Walorski: Democrats’ Spending Proposals Turn a Blind Eye on America’s Most Vulnerable Families

Walorski: Democrats' Spending Proposals Turn a Blind Eye on America's Most Vulnerable Families

"From the gas pump to the grocery store, inflation caused by out-of-control Democratic spending has spurred devastating consequences for struggling families all over our districts,"top Republican on the Worker and Family Support Subcommittee Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-IN) said in her opening remarks during a Republican roundtable examining Democrats' harmful welfare-without-work expansion.

The roundtable discussion featured testimony from former Ways and Means Chair and Speaker of the House Rep. Paul Ryan and American Enterprise Institute President Robert Doar.

Excerpts from Rep. Walorski's opening remarks appear below.

  • "Democrats have turned the Child Tax Credit on its head by completely de-linking the credit from earnings and work in an unprecedented attempt to start using the IRS to distribute cash welfare - at a cost of more than $500 billion."
  • "But we know Democrats' big spending proposals equate to turning a blind eye on America's most vulnerable families. Liberals want to send cash to poor families indefinitely and walk away. A short-sighted attempt to 'buy' people out of poverty with no consideration of the long-term impacts."
  • "We also know that families, particularly the children in those families, do best when parents are connected to jobs and moving up the economic ladder. No number of endless government checks - no matter how well-intentioned - can address the underlying challenges that could be holding a family back from success."

CLICK HERE to watch the meeting.

Rep. Walorski's full remarks as prepared for delivery appear below.

Good morning and welcome. I want to thank everyone who's here today, my colleagues, Speaker Ryan, Bob Doar, thank you so much for joining us. We all know how familiar this topic is. This roundtable today on how Democratic efforts to expand the welfare state will ultimately fail the poor and threaten our jobs recovery.

As Ranking Member of the Worker and Family Support Subcommittee, I am proud of the subcommittee's long standing leadership to enact policies that reduce poverty by helping families achieve self-sufficiency through the dignity and value of work.

Indiana's 2nd Congressional District is one of the largest manufacturing centers in the country. The manufacturers and businesses in my district have demonstrated resilience as they've adapted to evolving business conditions throughout the pandemic. But the ongoing labor shortage and supply chain issues caused by the Biden Administration policies are threatening these critical industries.

Last week's job openings and labor turnover survey showed record high turnover, with job creators continuing to face serious hiring challenges. Over half of the business owners reported that they still can't fill their job openings. And with higher prices, many are struggling to keep their heads above water.

Washington's response has made it harder. From the gas pump to the grocery store, inflation caused by out-of-control Democratic spending has spurred devastating consequences for struggling families all over our districts.

Now, in their so-called "Build Back Better" reconciliation bill, President Biden and the Democrats are weaponizing the temporary COVID-relief as a backdoor to create permanent new welfare-without-work programs that foster greater dependence on government and pay people more to stay at home.

Democrats have turned the Child Tax Credit on its head by completely de-linking the credit from earnings and work in an unprecedented attempt to start using the IRS to distribute cash welfare - at a cost of more than $500 billion.

This is the most expensive item on the Democrat's tax hikes and spending spree wish list. These payments will flow, no strings attached, regardless of whether the recipient earned any income or worked.

Democrats keep telling us about how this policy to send monthly checks to non-earners, non-working households with children is needed to decrease child poverty.

But we know Democrats' big spending proposals equate to turning a blind eye on America's most vulnerable families. Liberals want to send cash to poor families indefinitely and walk away. A short-sighted attempt to "buy" people out of poverty with no consideration of the long-term impacts.

We also know that families, particularly the children in those families, do best when parents are connected to jobs and moving up the economic ladder. No number of endless government checks -no matter how well-intentioned-can address the underlying challenges that could be holding a family back from success.

It's clear that President Biden and the Democrats have forgotten the lessons of welfare reform. Twenty-five years ago, in the face of rising welfare caseloads, long durations in poverty, and no work for millions of people, Republicans and Democrats came together to reform the nation's welfare system.

In a striking departure from the tax-and-spend scheme of today, these reforms were based on one simple idea shared by people of all political stripes: the best way out of poverty and on a pathway to success is a job. Welfare reform started with a foundation of earned success and provided millions of families with a pathway out of poverty to prosperity through work. Coupled with Republican pro-growth policies, like those in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, these are the types of winning solutions we should be championing.

With inflation rising and employers struggling to hire, our country can't afford to relegate an entire generation of workers to the sidelines.

Instead of anchoring those in poverty to endless government checks -we should be empowering those in poverty to seize greater opportunity and success for themselves and their children. Now more than ever, it is critical to utilize our nation's workforce training and safety net programs to help individuals find and keep good-paying jobs.

Now I would like to recognize each of our guests. I'm honored to have Paul Ryan and Robert Doar, visionary welfare reform leaders, join us today.