Field Hearing on the Dignity of Work
The House Ways and Means’ Work & Welfare Subcommittee yesterday opened its “Field Hearing on the Dignity of Work: Lifting Individuals Out of Poverty” with a statement by Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL-18) advocating “opportunity for individuals to grow their capacity and be connected to meaningful work.” Rep. LaHood’s statement, in addition to highlighting the positive effects of employment on the struggle to avoid poverty, focused on both the tangible and intangible benefits of work and the premise that “most Americans support work as a condition of welfare.” Although not addressed specifically in Rep. LaHood’s remarks, work is integral to the success of our Social Security program where maintenance of an appropriate worker-to-beneficiary ratio is a key to the program’s sustainability. Read Rep. LaHood’s remarks in full here.