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A Better Way: Agenda to Expand Opportunity

by Melanie Anderson   •  

In December 2015, Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) laid out his vision for the country as the new Speaker of the House. Based on the ideas outlined in the speech, the House Republican leadership formed six task forces lead by a committee chairman, focused on poverty, taxes, regulatory burdens, health care, national security and constitutional authority.

Today, Speaker Ryan previewed that agenda, called “A Better Way,” in the weekly Republican radio address. Each week for the next three weeks, House Republicans will roll out two new policy reports for a total of six. They will start with poverty.

Initial policy ideas focused on poverty include:

  • Ensure states, non-profits, employers, welfare recipients, and taxpayers all benefit when someone moves from welfare to work;
  • Increase flexibility to state and local governments to promote new ways to help those in need and foster seamless cooperation across assistance programs;
  • Expect able-bodied adults receiving welfare to work or to prepare for work in exchange for receiving benefits;
  • Increase long-term personal income security through improved retirement savings and access to affordable financial services;
  • Remove government-imposed barriers to success;
  • Make programs accountable by focusing on results, not inputs;
  • Reform job training support, career and technical education, and higher education so workers and job-seekers have the skills and the education they need to succeed;
  • Strengthen early childhood education and care by improving coordination between existing federal and state efforts and empowering families with a variety of choices; and
  • Deliver the efficiency and effectiveness hardworking taxpayers deserve by attacking waste, fraud, and abuse.

Additional information can be found at http://www.speaker.gov/confidentamerica.

Melanie Anderson Melanie Anderson is the Director of Government and External Affairs at Opportunity Nation. She directs the campaign’s government relations and policy efforts. Read Melanie's bio.

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