President Issues Executive Order on Poverty & Economic Independence: President Trump signed last week an Executive Order (EO) https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-reducing-poverty-america-promoting-opportunity-economic-mobility/ directing federal departments to provide within 90 days a list of potential regulatory or policy changes to the way benefits or services are provided to families and individuals. As is the case with such orders, the EO is very broad and general in scope. It asserts that, ‘many of the programs designed to help families have instead delayed economic independence, perpetuated poverty and weakened family bonds.’
Among the provisions, the EO focuses on enforcing work requirements for public benefits and services already in law and also urges that agencies consider introducing new work requirements when legally permissible. The EO also directs departments to review all existing waivers having the effect of exempting individuals from work requirements. It urges federal agencies to find ways to provide state and local governments with additional flexibility to design and manage federal programs to meet local needs. The EO also focuses on whether and how programs benefit immigrants.
The actual impact of the EO remains to be seen. While the EO does not address specific programs, Trump cabinet officials and Congressional Republicans are already supporting, via state waivers, additional work requirements under Medicaid and the pending House bill reauthorizing the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program contains new restrictions on benefits and increased work requirements.
