President Joe Biden’s remark hinting he is open to beefing up certain welfare work requirements has galvanized the issue among Republicans in the debt ceiling debate.
The comments in question came Sunday when Biden was biking in Delaware and stopped to answer a few questions from reporters. The president was asked whether, as part of the debt ceiling negotiations, he would be open to bolstering work requirements for certain government aid programs.
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“I voted for tougher aid programs that’s in the law now, but for Medicaid, it's a different story. And so I’m waiting to hear what their exact proposal is,” Biden said.
Republicans have been pushing for increased work requirements for Medicaid and for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as food stamps. While Biden ruled out changes for Medicaid, his remarks have reinvigorated the GOP push for making work requirements for food stamps more stringent.
“Biden’s comments this weekend were a step in the right direction — I’m glad the president remembered that he has a long history of supporting work requirements for able-bodied adults,” said Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK), the chairman of the Republican Study Committee, a group of conservatives in the House Republican conference.
“This is something every American can support, regardless of party. In fact, the only people who don’t support work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents are those currently abusing the system,” Hern told the Washington Examiner. “We’re now in agreement on a major item to be included in the debt limit increase. I look forward to finding more common ground on these common-sense, cost-saving reforms.”
The White House further elaborated upon Biden’s comments.
“The work requirements on cash assistance that the president voted for in the 1990s are still the law today. As the president said, Medicaid is a different story, and the president has been clear that he will not accept proposals that take away people’s health coverage,” White House assistant press secretary Michael Kikukawa said in a statement provided to the Washington Examiner.
“The president has also been clear that he will not accept policies that push Americans into poverty,” Kikukawa added. “He will evaluate whatever proposals Republicans bring to the table based on those principles.”
Under President Bill Clinton, then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Republicans pushed through the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, which introduced major changes to welfare and was signed into law by Clinton.
The legislation, which gained Biden’s support at the time, sunsetted the country’s existing cash welfare program and formed the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, which imposed work requirements and a five-year lifetime cap on benefits.
Boosted work requirements were part of the Republican legislation to raise the debt ceiling that was recently introduced. The House passed the bill along party lines in a 217-215 vote, with four Republicans voting against the measure. The bill would raise the debt ceiling over the next year either by $1.5 trillion or until March 31, 2024, whichever comes first.
The GOP proposal is not seen as viable in the Democratic-controlled Senate but serves as a jumping-off point for negotiations between the White House and Republicans, who are hoping to use the looming deadline as leverage to exact big concessions. One aspect of the plan targets work requirements for food stamps.
Right now, those “capable” and aged 18-49 without dependents must report work. The new plan would increase the age limit to 56. Currently, those in the 18-49 cohort who can’t show they are employed at least 20 hours a week are limited to only three months of food stamps in a three-year period. The GOP debt limit plan would increase the number of people who fall into that group.
Jonathan Ingram, vice president of policy and research at the Foundation for Government Accountability, recently told the Washington Examiner that public opinion favors boosted work requirements and noted a recent election in Wisconsin showed support for the guardrails.
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Wisconsin Advisory Question 3 asked voters whether “able-bodied, childless adults [should] be required to look for work in order to receive taxpayer-funded welfare benefits.” An overwhelming 80% of voters said they did.
Biden and congressional Republicans are next scheduled to meet and discuss the debt ceiling on Tuesday after previously meeting last week.