Written by Clarence H. Carter and Nic Dunn
April 5, 2026
Originally published by National Review.
Signed into law 30 years ago, the 1996 welfare-reform law was built on a simple idea: States should lead, and the system should reward work and personal progress. But three decades after welfare reform proved that a properly crafted safety net can reduce dependencyand increase work, Washington still operates a fragmented system that too often does the opposite — penalizing progress, discouraging earnings, and obscuring the very goal it was designed to achieve. Congress should act now to ensure that the next phase of reform is once again state-led and work-centered.
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