House Republicans voted last week to make existing work requirements for food and cash assistance stricter, while proposing to add similar conditions to be eligible for Medicaid. They want federal assistance to be contingent on people seeking jobs.
The proposed new restrictions to federal-assistance programs are among several demands Republicans are making in exchange for raising the nation's borrowing limit for about one year, The Wall Street Journal reported. Republicans say it would reduce federal spending and encourage work.
The House GOP Debt Ceiling Bill is unlikely to pass in the Democrat-controlled Senate, and President Joe Biden would likely veto it, the Journal reported.
Republicans' insistence on adding work requirements to federal aid programs is adding to a standoff with Democrats, according to the Journal.
Typically, work-requirement proposals compel beneficiaries to work, perform community service, or participate in education or job training, the Journal noted.
Some Republican supporters of work requirements say they must be calibrated correctly to avoid curbing access to food and healthcare for poor Americans.
"If we help encourage people to experience the wonders of work, they'll be better for it," Rep. Frank Lucas, R-Okla., told the Journal. "By the same token, I'm not going to take the calories out of the mouth of anyone who needs those calories. It's a fine line."
Democrats say most poor Americans who can work already have jobs but face challenges complying with the rules, the Journal noted.
Of those who receive assistance without working, "the vast majority of these people are disabled, elderly, or they're in places where there aren't opportunities," said Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore.
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