Jordan Introduces SNAP Reform Bill to Emphasize Work

Press Release

Congressman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) today introduced H.R. 5360, the Welfare Reform and Upward Mobility Act of 2016, a bill to reform the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The bill, sponsored in the Senate by Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah), is modeled off of successful reforms implemented in Maine and the welfare reforms of 1996.

Of the legislation, Rep. Jordan said:

"Welfare programs are meant to be a temporary safety net, but they have become a permanent way of life for millions of Americans. Instead of giving impoverished families and individuals a helping hand, the current system penalizes positive steps toward self-sufficiency. This needs to change. I'm honored to work with Senator Mike Lee to improve the welfare system and help our fellow Americans realize their goals and potential."

Among other things, the bill would:

- Improve reporting of means-tested welfare spending

- Create state-run work activation programs to help SNAP recipients find work through vocational education, job training and job search assistance

- Focus on able-bodied adults without dependents, by reinforcing an 80-hour per month work activation program to help SNAP recipients rise out of poverty

- Modify Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) to fix existing provisions that penalize marriage, reinforcing the family as a primary way to combat poverty

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