House GOP bets on work requirements, hoping to repeat Clinton-era successes

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy Takes Bold Stance on Work Requirements for Social Welfare Programs

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is making a bold move to strengthen work requirements for major social welfare programs. This is part of the GOP’s plan to raise the debt ceiling and has long been seen as a policy and political winner by conservatives.

Although the proposal faces opposition due to Democrats’ control of the Senate and President Joe Biden’s insistence for a clean increase in the debt ceiling without accompanying conditions, it is an indication of the GOP’s priorities in what will likely be a contentious negotiation in the coming weeks and months.

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McCarthy’s plan would require Medicaid beneficiaries to work 80 hours per month (20 hours per week), with exceptions for people with dependents, those over the age of 56, and others. More than 92 million people were enrolled in Medicaid as of December, the majority of whom were children, disabled, or elderly.

The proposal also targets the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as food stamps, which already have some work requirements. The new plan would increase the age limit to 56 for those who are “capable” and aged 18-49 without dependents. The GOP debt limit plan would increase the number of people who fall into that group.

Matthew Gagnon, CEO of the Maine Policy Institute, believes that requiring work in exchange for assistance is not only a necessary step to incentivize work but also a crucial control on the cost overruns of many welfare programs.

The Congressional Budget Office estimated Tuesday that the reforms would, over the course of 10 years, reduce spending by $109 billion for Medicaid, $11 billion for SNAP, and $6 million for cash welfare.

Republicans appear to be looking for a repeat of the successes of the House Republican majority of the 1990s. The episode indicates that work requirements can have bipartisan support. The majority of Senate Democrats voted for the measures — including then-Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware.

But the McCarthy plan to beef up work requirements is still a heavy lift. Rep. David Scott (D-GA), the ranking member on the Agriculture Committee, which oversees SNAP, pushed back on McCarthy’s plan, calling the proposal as it currently stands a “non-starter.”

Liberals have also taken aim at the proposal. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities argues that more than 10 million people, including millions of children, would be at risk of losing assistance.

• McCarthy’s plan would require Medicaid beneficiaries to work 80 hours per month (20 hours per week), with exceptions for people with dependents, those over the age of 56, and others.
• The proposal also targets the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as food stamps, which already have some work requirements.
• The new plan would increase the age limit to 56 for those who are “capable” and aged 18-49 without dependents.
• The GOP debt limit plan would increase the number of people who fall into that group.

Despite the opposition, McCarthy’s plan is a step towards incentivizing work and controlling the cost overruns of welfare programs. It remains to be seen whether it will gain enough support to become law.