The Subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services, led by Chair Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.), has scheduled a second hearing to examine potential reforms of the federal welfare system. The hearing is titled “Examining the Growth of the Welfare State, Part II” and aims to address concerns that the current welfare system does not improve the lives of Americans. According to Grothman, the system creates obstacles to employment, discourages marriage, and perpetuates a cycle of dependence.
Grothman pointed out that during the COVID-19 pandemic, federal welfare spending reached $1.19 trillion, covering more than 80 programs. He noted that the number of Americans remaining on welfare long-term has doubled since the late 1990s.
“The welfare system has been failing the American people for decades, causing more Americans to remain in poverty than climb out of it,” Grothman stated. He emphasized the issues of waste, fraud, and abuse within these programs and highlighted the need for reform to avoid squandering taxpayer money, hampering financial independence, and disincentivizing marriage.
The hearing is set for May 7, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. ET in the Rayburn House Office Building. Witnesses will include Ben Carson, former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; Chris Edwards of The Cato Institute; and Howard Husock of The American Enterprise Institute. The panel will focus on rental assistance programs such as Section 8, Public Housing, and the Low-Income Tax Credit as part of their discussion on welfare reform.
