The Pros And Cons Of Welfare Reform

Is it fair that almost fifty percent of the American population does not pay Federal Income Tax, which funds the federal government and its constitutional basic functions? Since the creation of welfare programs in the year 1935, a percentage of the population in the United States has been depending on these economic benefit programs to live; while at the same time, many of those people do not pay a single penny for those services. The problem with government dependency is that it goes against American core values of self-reliance and work. To solve this very expensive and dangerous problem, Congress should take into consideration reforming the different welfare programs and its guidelines. Welfare programs should be reformed because they create
This increase in budget and spending is because every year there are more Americans who need financial help. But, do these people need financial help; or is it that the American population knows that only a minority of welfare programs require you to work? Mathew Spalding along with poverty expert Robert Rector, “...found that only two, the earned income tax credit and the additional child refundable credit, require recipients to actually work for their benefits”. (Spalding). When Rector examined all of the federal government’s welfare program (69), there were only three programs which required participants to work. With only three out of sixty-nine programs requiring recipients to work, dependency is created because anybody who cannot find a job for any reason can decide not to work and live off the government. As previously stated, welfare programs are supposed to help you in financially, while at the same time guide beneficiaries to self-sufficiency; but by all means, sixty-six of the sixty-nine programs don’t encourage participants to work. Dependency is also created when almost half of the population of the United States contributes little or no taxes for the services they receive. “...44.7 percent of the population pays no federal income taxes” (David B. Muhlhausen Ph.D.). Besides the fact that participants don’t have to work for their services, they don’t have to pay necessarily for their
If somebody comes into the United States unlawful, how can they have access to welfare programs or any government benefits? Unfortunately many immigrants come to the United States and have a child inside the United States, making the baby an American Citizen. American Citizens are entitled to every Welfare Program and Government Benefit if they meet the requirements (Robert Rector). “...illegal immigrant, we estimate that 62 percent use one or more welfare programs” (Camarota). As stated before these immigrants gain access to welfare programs because of their American-born children. More than half of illegal immigrants use welfare programs, and sometimes they receive benefits from two programs at once. This statistic is a cause for concern because illegal immigrants have a higher percentage of use for welfare programs than native-born American citizens. “Illegal immigrant-headed households' use of welfare is high at 62 percent, higher than the 30 percent for households headed by native-born Americans” (Camarota). Since the majority of unlawful immigrants entering the United States have an education level of no more than a High School Diploma, it is very hard for them to acquire a good