When Bill Clinton worked with Democrats and Republicans in Congress to pass welfare reform in 1996, it was an important bipartisan accomplishment that not only helped support families transition from public assistance back to independence, but it also recognized more broadly the role government plays in promoting work and personal responsibility.
Since then, poverty rates among black children have fallen, and black families today make up a smaller percentage of welfare recipients than before. Although there’s still much more work to be done in coordination with churches and community organizations to help get families back on their feet, it’s clear the work requirements tied to welfare benefits have gone a long way to improve the lot of our communities.
Unfortunately, though, instead of focusing on creating jobs and opportunity for black Americans, President Obama is rolling back the work requirements in the welfare reform law.
While this might seem like a politically popular move to help motivate liberals, in the long-term, we all know that’s not the kind of leadership we need to help close the gap in terms of income levels, employment and economic outcomes. And it only adds insult to injury to the millions of black Americans President Obama has let down, since he hasn’t helped our communities and our families in the ways he promised he would.
Unemployment nationally is still 8.3 percent – it’s been above 8 percent for 42 months in a row – and the jobless rate among African Americans is a stunning 14.1 percent. That’s a far cry from the 6 percent unemployment rate we were expecting by now.
President Obama also promised to fix the broken Medicare system. Instead, he raided the program of $716 billion to pay for his health care overhaul program. This not only hurts seniors currently enrolled in the program, but it also fails to ensure that Medicare will be around when people in my generation and in future generations need it, since the program will be insolvent by 2024.
Also included in President Obama’s massive cut is a $156 billion in reduction in funding for Medicare Advantage, which is expected to increase out-of-pocket costs for seniors and drive down enrollment by about 50 percent. That puts African Americans especially at risk, since 29 percent of black Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans.
Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan have a very different view. They believe we need to uphold our promises to current seniors and put Medicare on a path to solvency, which is why a Romney-Ryan administration will reverse President Obama’s cuts to Medicare and implement long-term reforms to protect and strengthen the program for future generations. Their bipartisan plan won’t change anything for those 55 and older, but by giving future retirees more choice in their insurance coverage, they’ll be able to ensure we can keep the promises we make to younger generations.
More broadly, Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan put their faith in the hard-working men and women of this country – not in government – and they understand the value of hard work. They’ll restore the work requirements in the welfare reform law, and their Plan for a Stronger Middle Class will create 12 million new jobs in just four years.
That’s the kind of tangible hope and change the 2.5 million black Americans who are out of work are looking for, and that’s why we need to elect Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan this November.
[Editor's Note: This article was written by Tara Wall who is a senior advisor to the Romney campaign.]
