Only Two Sitting Senators Voted Against Work Requirements in Historic Welfare Overhaul

A controversial bill restricting and increasing work requirements for welfare and food benefit recipients appears to be primed to fail.

A similar bill passed with bipartisan support in 1996. At the time, House Speaker Newt Gingrich and President Bill Clinton worked together to sign into law the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act. However, Democrats and Republicans are more divided on the issue today.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is attempting to push through higher qualification thresholds for benefit recipients to reign in deficit spending. A vote along party lines moved the bill through the House but is not likely to be approved by the Senate.

President Biden will veto the bill should it come to his desk in its present form. 

 

The Clinton-era legislation established the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, which introduced new work requirements for support recipients and a five-year lifetime cap on benefits.

Then-Sens. Joe Biden and Ron Wyden (D-OR) voted in favor of the bill.

Then-Sen. Biden said on the Senate floor at the time:

“The culture of welfare must be replaced with the culture of work. The culture of dependence must be replaced with the culture of self-sufficiency and personal responsibility.”

McCarthy argued that Congress must reevaluate America’s benefit programs because the nation has exceeded its debt limit caps.  

According to the Washington Examiner, the speaker’s plan “mandates Medicaid beneficiaries work 80 hours per month (20 hours per week), although there are exceptions for people with dependents, those over the age of 56, and others.”

As of December, more than 92 million people were enrolled in Medicaid. Studies show that most Medicaid recipients are “children, disabled, or elderly.”

McCarthy’s plan also imposes new work requirements for those enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (also known as EBT or food stamps). 

The plan would raise the working age requirement for “those capable” from 49 to age 56. 

The House passed McCarthy’s debt ceiling legislation along party lines in a 217–215 vote. Four Republicans voted against the measure. 

Analysts anticipate the Senate Democratic caucus will not allow the bill to advance in the Upper Chamber.