The GOP's Soul Searching On Poverty
May 30, 2014 -- When it comes to the policy priorities of an aspiring President, there are some generally accepted choices. Education reform, entitlement reform, something involving the military – all of these fit nicely into a portfolio that is suited toward biding ones time and putting points on the board while courting donors and building out an operation in Iowa and New Hampshire.
Let's be clear: poverty is an important topic, but in official Washington, not typically one that results in great career longevity.
Even as LBJ's great society marks 50 years, the results from his effort are uneven at best and often somewhat depressing. As syndicated columnist Cal Thomas recently pointed out, "In 1964, the poverty rate was about 19 percent. Census data from 2010 indicates that 15.1 percent are in poverty within a much larger population. The lack of government programs did not cause poverty, and spending vast sums of money has not eliminated it."
Equally worth noting is the political cost of taking on such a delicate issue. House Republicans faced the full wrath of both interest groups and the media when trying to make even modest reforms to the food stamp program earlier this year, despite overwhelming evidence that it was fundamentally broken.
That's why it came as something of a surprise that potential candidates for President like Florida Senator Marco Rubio, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul and Ryan, the House Budget Committee Chairman, have all taken a shot at trying to solve the problem, albeit on traditionally conservative terms.
Ryan, who until his time as a Vice Presidential nominee was better known for budgets and fiscal issues, is the latest to grab what is something of a third rail, especially for Republicans. However, a recent interview revealed that Ryan is taking an interesting dual approach to the problem – an effort to experience it firsthand, combined with a pro-growth job creation strategy that echoes solutions in his recent budget plans.
When asked about why he'd take on an issue that has proven to be so difficult, Ryan responded, "I've been interested in this issue since the time I worked for Jack Kemp, who was a real pioneer in this field…I wanted to know what I could do to help."
He continued, "I think the people in Washington very often talk about people in poor communities, but they very rarely talk with them. That's why for the past year and a half, I've been traveling the country listening and learning from people fighting poverty on the front lines. I think the first step to real reform is a frank and open conversation."
True to form, Ryan has visited everywhere from a church in Indianapolis to sitting down with traditional political adversaries in the Congressional Black Caucus to discuss the issue. The effort hasn't been without its hiccups – Ryan has had to apologize for "inarticulate" comments when some on the left accused him of using the term, "inner city" to implicate minorities – Ryan said it wasn't meant to implicate one group, but rather encourage communities to reach out to neighborhoods traditionally isolated by poverty.
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