With 46 million Americans living in poverty, we need to get government out of the way of people looking for work and empower them with the tools needed to achieve upward mobility.

Dear Friend,

This week, I want to share my thoughts with you on another pillar of the House Republicans’ pro-growth agenda: Poverty and Opportunity. House Republicans are committed to making sure the American ideal of upward mobility is there for everyone.

In the fifty years since President Johnson declared a “War on Poverty,” the federal government has created a variety of programs to provide assistance to those who have little to no income - through monetary payments, subsidies and vouchers, health services, and housing.

However, 46 million Americans currently live in poverty. These federal assistance programs have done little more than convince people to tolerate poverty, instead of helping them escape it. In fact, people who are born poor are just as likely to remain poor as they were before we began these programs.

This is a tragedy and shouldn’t be happening in America. It’s past time for a new approach, and both parties bear responsibility for our failure to properly address this issue.

In order to lift people out of poverty, our country needs to ensure everyone has access to a quality education and an opportunity for a good paycheck. If upward mobility and opportunity no longer exist for all of our people, then the American Dream itself can no longer exist.

If we are to remain an exceptional nation, we must ensure that all Americans believe they can work towards a better life for themselves and their families.

Sincerely,

Kay Granger
Member of Congress