Media Contact - Alexei Woltornist (202)225-6205

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH) today introduced the Welfare Benefit Reform and Alignment Commission (BRAC) Act which will create a bipartisan, eight-member commission tasked with formulating concrete solutions to reform more than 90 federal welfare programs which cost taxpayers almost $1 trillion a year.

Experts on both sides of the aisle agree that increasing employment, encouraging healthy marriages, and increasing educational attainment are the best methods to end poverty; however, today many of our nation’s programs are more focused on getting dollars out the door rather than helping our most vulnerable families achieve these goals. What we see today is a broken system that keeps families consistently dependent on welfare and alienated from the workforce.

While the poverty rate has changed little over the past twenty years, the amount our nation spends on anti-poverty programs has increased 33%.

“There is widespread agreement on both sides of the aisle that our social safety net is not accomplishing what it needs to do. Unfortunately, this has not turned into action,” said Davidson. “The Welfare BRAC Act breaks the stalemate on the issue by turning bipartisan agreement into results that cost less to administer and are more focused on meeting the needs our social safety net was designed to fulfill. We need more deeds, not words.”

The Welfare BRAC Act also creates a fast-track voting procedure for quick action in the House of Representatives and Senate to ensure that a lack of political will within doesn’t thwart the important goals this commission is designed to help solve.

The bill is co-sponsored by:
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH)
Rep. Bruce Poliquin (R-ME)
Rep. Ted Yoho (R-FL)
Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC)
Rep. Neal Dunn (R-FL)
Rep. Mark Sanford (R-SC)
Rep. David Rouzer (R-NC)
Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH)