On Friday, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan addressed a full ballroom of conservatives at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference. Unlike most speakers at the event, Ryan did not focus on normal Republican issues such as the economy, tax cuts, national security or social issues. Instead he directed his appearance towards a new legislative push to reform how the federal government addresses poverty.
Since becoming Speaker of the House last fall, Ryan has pushed for an increased discussion about how our country approaches the fight to alleviate poverty in America. More Republicans should get behind and embrace Ryan’s new role in this endeavor. For too long now, Republicans have either shied away from this issue or been shut out of the debate. The American people deserve a real conversation about how we can fight poverty in our own nation, and Republicans should and are becoming a part of it.
It’s been over 50 years since President Lyndon Johnson declared America’s “War on Poverty,” and unfortunately little progress has been made. Since 1964 the number of children living in poverty in single-parent homes has essentially tripled from 1.6 million to 4.8 million today. However, the poverty rate has continued to fluctuate around 15 percent. Liberal policies of increased government spending have only seemed to exacerbate the poverty problem in America. Republicans have, until recently, by their own doing ignored talking about these issues. To go along with this silence, they have also done a poor job of explaining why more free market solutions should be embraced to solve poverty.
For too long Republicans have been shut out entirely of the poverty issue. This is in part their own doing, but also due to the willingness of the Democrats to attack Republicans if they approached this issue. Nonetheless, this should not deter Republicans from attempting to discuss free market ways to solve the war on poverty. Republican ideas that embrace the free market and creating economic opportunity work, and should be applied to helping those who need it most. Having 48 million Americans living in poverty is appalling and it’s become apparent that big government, top-down approaches to this issue are not working.
To solve the war on poverty, Republicans not only need to rebuke the policies that are currently in place, but also offer an agenda to present to the American people. Just opposing the failed programs will not be enough to change the system.
Thankfully numerous policies are already in place that can be highlighted as ways to help more people rise out of poverty. School choice, for example, has benefited thousands of children living in poverty throughout the country, and has provided them with a quality education that they otherwise may not have received.
The Earned Income Tax Credit is another example of a proven policy that can help lift people out of poverty. Arthur Brooks, a heralded conservative scholar, has described the EITC as the “most powerful pro-work, anti-poverty measure currently in America’s economic policy arsenal.” These are just two examples of conservative policies that if applied nationwide would help transform the lives of millions of Americans currently living in poverty.
Many major issues will need to be addressed by the next president and Congress, and Republicans should be encouraged by Ryan’s push to include poverty among these issues. Too many Americans across our great country are being left behind and provided with few opportunities to climb out of poverty in our society. Republicans must stand with Ryan to bring these issues to the front of our political debate. We cannot settle for the status quo of failed big government policies to solve poverty. Instead, Republicans should be excited and willing to offer up a new agenda and ways to lift people out of poverty, and create economic opportunities for all Americans.
Charlie is a senior majoring in journalism and economics. Do you agree with him that Paul Ryan’s plan to end poverty is the best option? Are there other alternatives that you think would be more effective? Let us know at opinion@dailycardinal.com.
