July 24, 2026
Lessons from the 1996 Welfare Reform Law Approaching Its 30th Anniversary
The actual effects of the law—especially in promoting more work and earnings and less poverty and welfare dependence—exceeded what even some of the law’s strongest advocates anticipated.
June 1, 2026
Pandemic Unemployment Fraud Data Continue to Amaze—and Not in a Good Way
On May 18, or more than 1,700 days after an alphabet soup of temporary federal…
May 20, 2026
Bill Would Require States to Use Future Federal Funds to Repay Unemployment Loans First
Yesterday Rep. Vince Fong (R-CA) introduced H.R. 8892, the “Creating Accountability in Loan (CAL) Repayment…
March 23, 2026
Assessing Duplicative Federal Benefit Programs and Preventing Abuse
This commentary reviews current means-tested federal benefit programs designed to assist low-income individuals and families….
March 5, 2026
Summary and Analysis of the “Stop Unemployment Fraud Act”
This week, senior House and Senate Members are introducing legislation designed to prevent a repeat of runaway fraud and abuse that afflicted…
December 23, 2025
The Policy Lessons from Minnesota’s Massive Welfare Fraud
Numerous reviewers have spotlighted shocking welfare fraud perpetrated by members of the Somali community in…
December 2, 2025
What To Do About Benefit Cliffs?
Everyone wants poor families to work their way off welfare and ascend the income ladder….
November 10, 2025
The Welfare Program You Never Heard About During the Shutdown
Americans have heard plenty about how, effective November 1, the federal government shutdown suspended regular…
May 19, 2025
The Case for Shifting More Welfare Costs to States
As part of Congressional Republicans’ drive to craft “one big beautiful bill” reflecting Donald Trump’s…
April 23, 2025
In Case of Emergency, Open Block Grant: Part 2
Congress’s efforts to produce “one big, beautiful bill” that reflects President Donald Trump’s tax and…
April 23, 2025
In Case of Emergency, Open Block Grant: Part 1
Congress’s efforts to produce “one big, beautiful bill” that reflects President Donald Trump’s tax and…
February 24, 2025
What Do You Call an Automatic Stabilizer that Doesn’t Shrink When Conditions Improve? The Biden Food Stamps Blowout
Last month the Wall Street Journal editorial board (“The Great Biden Welfare Blowout”) reviewed the…