House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN)—along with Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) and other House Republicans—this morning
unveiled an initiative to lift people out of poverty and onto the ladder of opportunity. Developed by the
Task Force on Poverty, Opportunity, and Upward Mobility, the plan is the first plank of
A Better Way, a bold policy agenda to tackle the country’s challenges.
Speaking at House of Help City of Hope, a faith-based residential treatment program founded by Bishop Shirley Holloway in the Anacostia neighborhood, Chairman Kline said:
Bishop, thank you so much. Not just for hosting us here today, but for showing us there is a way. There is a way for every American to have hope and to achieve their dreams, come out of dire circumstances, and move forward into a very successful life. That’s been our challenge, and that’s why this group has come together. We’ve been fighting a war on poverty for over 50 years, and we’ve been losing the war on poverty for over 50 years. We have some examples of success, and there’s one right here.
We need to find a way to give people hope and to come out of poverty … This is a better way. We’re proud to be bringing it forward. We need to give people hope and opportunity.
The plan includes a wide range of proposals to promote work and family, restore upward mobility, and support collaboration with communities, including:
- Improving our investment in early childhood education by supporting ideas that work on the front lines and making sure parents are fully informed about the choices they have for their kids’ care and education.
- A more inclusive approach to help at-risk youth avoid the criminal justice system and stay on the path to rehabilitation, tailoring benefits and services to each child’s needs and challenges.
- Reforms to child nutrition programs so we help the most vulnerable children—especially those in rural and low-income areas—get better access to healthy meals.
- Changes to higher education and career and technical education so more Americans acquire the knowledge and skills they need to compete and win in the workforce.
- Reforms that will help hardworking Americans retire with the financial security, dignity, and peace of mind they deserve.
For more on these ideas and A Better Way, visit better.gop.
To view Chairman Kline's remarks, click here.
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