August 22, 2018
Washington, DC
Signatures updated: 8/24/18
Republicans, including President Trump, have long called for strong welfare reform, including work requirements. As the House and Senate work through the conference negotiations on the 2018 Farm Bill, we urge conferees to support a policy of conditioning benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), otherwise known as food stamps, with work requirements for able-bodied adults.
According to the Heritage Foundation, the able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWD) caseload for SNAP benefits has more than doubled over the past decade, rising from 1.9 million in 2008 to 4.2 million today. Spending on the program has also doubled in the last decade to approximately $73 billion annually.
Though limited work requirements exist in current law, the amount of state waivers in place has rendered them effectively meaningless. Given this, as well as the fiscal and policy benefits associated with work requirements for ABAWDs, we urge conferees to give this policy due consideration.
Previous work requirement initiatives, specifically those added to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, have been successful at expediting the return of assistance recipients to the workforce, and removing incentives that discourage individuals from seeking full-time employment. According to the National Taxpayers Union, these reforms have been associated with higher incomes, declining child poverty, and an increased number of single women in the workforce.
Moreover, in places where these policies have been tried, they have succeeded. In July 2014, Maine announced it would no longer grant waivers from work requirements for ABAWDs. In a few months, Maine’s ABAWD caseload dropped 80 percent, with many individuals choosing to be removed from the SNAP rolls rather than participate in work programs.
According to analysis by the Heritage Foundation, policies similar to Maine’s could save taxpayers nearly $10 billion per year. Not only is this sound fiscal policy, it encourages individuals to take ownership of their own futures – the first step toward a successful welfare-to-work outcome. Americans understand this. In 2012, a Rasmussen poll found that 83 percent of American adults supported work requirements in exchange for welfare benefits.
Congress has a chance to make significant reforms to our welfare system that have a positive fiscal impact, while helping individuals make meaningful progress toward independence. We urge the Farm Bill conferees to include sound policy of work requirements for SNAP benefits.
| The Honorable Edwin Meese III Former Attorney General President Ronald Reagan |
Alfred S. Regnery Chairman, Conservative Action Project Chairman, Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund |
| The Honorable Bob McEwen U.S. House of Representatives Former Member, Ohio |
Tim Chapman President Heritage Action for America |
| William L. Walton Chairman CNP Action, Inc. |
Adam Brandon President FreedomWorks |
| The Honorable T. Kenneth Cribb, Jr. Former Chief Domestic Advisor President Ronald Reagan |
The Honorable Jim DeMint U.S. Senate Former Member, South Carolina |
| Ed Corrigan Vice Chairman, Conservative Action Project Former Executive Director, Senate Steering Committee |
Wesley Denton Former Communications Director Senator Jim DeMint (SC) |
| Rachel Bovard Former Policy Director Senate Steering Committee |
Cleta Mitchell, Esq. Partner Foley & Lardner LLP |
| David Bozell President ForAmerica |
The Honorable David McIntosh President Club for Growth |
| The Honorable Colin A. Hanna President Let Freedom Ring, Inc. |
The Honorable Tony Perkins President, Family Research Council President, Council for National Policy |
| Jenny Beth Martin Chairman Tea Party Patriots Citizen Fund |
The Honorable Ken Cuccinelli President Senate Conservatives Fund |
| The Honorable J. Kenneth Blackwell Chairman Constitutional Congress, Inc. |
L. Brent Bozell, III Founder and President Media Research Center |
| Rebecca Hagelin Secretary Council for National Policy |
Rod D. Martin Founder and CEO The Martin Organization, Inc. |
| Sherri R. Martin Executive Vice President The Martin Organization, Inc. |
Haley E. Martin President The Martin Foundation |
| Shawn A. Mitchell Former National Chaplain National Federation of Republican Assemblies (NFRA) |
Jerry Melvin Former Dean Florida House of Representatives |
| Evelio Silvera Campaign for the American Future |
Tom Giovanetti President Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI) |
| Phil Kerpen President American Commitment |
Dr. Mitch Pearlstein Founder & Senior Fellow Center of the American Experiment |
| Seton Motley President Less Government |
The Honorable Charles J. Cooper Former Assistant Attorney General, President Ronald Reagan Cooper & Kirk PLLC |
| James R. Waters CEO Bluegrass Institute for Public Policy Solutions |
Richard D. Hayes Partner Hayes, Berry, White & Vanzant KLP |
| Bob Adams President Revive America PAC |
Tim LeFever Chairman Capitol Resource Institute |
| Anne Schlafly Cori Chairman Eagle Forum |
The Honorable Tim Huelskamp, Ph.D. President The Heartland Institute |
| William Shaker Exective Washington Marketing Group |
Kim Bengard Business Owner It Takes A Family Foundation |
| E.C. Sykes Managing Director Aslan Ventures |
The Honorable James C. Miller III Former Budget Director Reagan Alumni |
| Peter J. Thomas Chairman The Consernative Caucus |
The Honorable Morton Blackwell Chairman The Weyrich Lunch |
| Lewis K. Uhler President National Tax Limitation Committee |
The Honorable Tom DeLay Former Majority Leader U.S.House of Representatives |
| Susan A. Carleson Chairman & CEO American Civil Rights Union |
Allen Hebert Chairman American-Chinese Fellowship of Houston |
| David N. Bossie President Citizens United |
Roxanne Phillips Member, Executive Committee Council for National Policy |
| Caroline C. Lewis Owner Percipio Communications |
Chad Connelly President Faith Wins |
| C. Preston Noell III President Tradition, Family, Property, Inc. |
Dan Weber President Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC) |
| Melvin Adams Past President Renewanation |
Floyd Brown Chairman Western Center for Journalism |
| Steve Berger Pastor Grace Chapel |
Lee Beaman CEO Beaman Automotive |
| Robert Alt President & CEO The Buckeye Institute |
Christopher Malagisi Editor in Chief Conservative Book Club |
| Marcia G. Taylor CEO Bennett Int. Group, LLC. |
Col. Francis X De Luca USMC(Ret) President Emeritus Civitas Institute |
| Darrel W. Johnson Owner Attic Corporation |
Michelle Easton President Clare Boothe Luce Center for Conservative Women |
| The Honorable Tim Echols Commissioner Georgia Public Service Commission |
Robert K. Fischer Meeting Coordinator Conservatives of Faith |
| Sal Russo Co-Founder and Chief Strategist Tea Party Express |
Charlie Copeland President Intercollegiate Studies Institute |
| The Honorable Mike Spence Founding President Conservative Republicans of California |
Willes K. Lee President National Federation of Republican Assemblies |
| Peggy Dau Activist for persecuted Christians Iran Alive |
Nancy Schulze Founder Republican Congressional Wives Speakers |
| Dr. Jerome R. Corsi, Ph.D. Founder and CEO, CorsiNation.com JRC Publishing LLC |
Robert D. Thompson Former Administrator The Weyrich Lunch |
| Dr. Richard Rounsavelle Trustee Media Research Center |
Jason S. Jones President HERO, Inc. |
| Kayla Moore President Foundation for Moral Law |
Sean Noble President American Encore |
| The Honorable Penny Pullen Former Representative Illinois General Assembly |
Russell Ramsland, Jr. Founder Park Cities/Preston Hollow Leadership Forum |
| The Honorable Mike Hill Former Member Florida State House |
The Honorable Gary L. Bauer President American Values |
| William W. Pascoe, III Board Member Tea Party Patriots Action |
James Clymer Former National Chairman Constitution Party National Committee |
| The Honorable Belden Bell CoChair-Legacy Society The Heritage Foundation |
James L. Martin Founder/Chairman 60 Plus Association |
| Saulius ‘Saul’ Anuzis President 60 Plus Association |
Charlie Gerow CEO Quantum Communications |
| Gregory Quinlan Founder The Center for Garden State Families |
Joe R. Calvert President Rabon-Calvert Interests |
| Mrs. Lisa Calvert Christian Speaker Rabon-Calvert Interests |
Martha Boneta President VCS |
| Suzanne Hudgens Homemaker Tea Party Activist |
Khadine Ritter President Eagle Forum of Ohio |
| Don Woodsmall President The Perfect Man Truth Campaign |
Richard H. Wright CEO AAndrews Consulting |
| Ralph A. Rebandt, II Lead Pastor Oakland Hills Community Church |
The Honorable Ralph T. Hudgens Commissioner of Insurance State of Georgia |
All organizations listed for IDENTIFICATION purposes only.
