The largest faction of House conservatives has issued a set of recommendations for Republican lawmakers on issues like welfare reform, defense spending and repealing Obamacare, as GOP leaders assemble a party agenda that House Speaker Paul Ryan hopes will attract voters in November.
The Republican Study Committee released six recommendations, which correspond with the six task forces Ryan has assembled to construct the House GOP agenda.
“As the largest caucus in Congress, we are in a unique position to help build the framework for a bold Republican agenda,” said Republican Study Committee Chairman Bill Flores, R-Texas. “Our members have a wide array of innovative, conservative ideas to help our country and offer fresh, new leadership. Our recommendations bring those ideas together to begin that important conversation.”
On welfare reform, conservative lawmakers told the Washington Examiner they have been working on plan to institute a work requirement for some welfare recipients, a change reflected in the RSC proposal.
“The current welfare system entices people to become dependent on government and behave in ways that keep them there,” the RSC said. “Obtaining work and keeping a job takes effort, perseverance, commitment, sacrifice, prioritization, and personal responsibility. Our assistance programs should encourage these positive values.”
The RSC is also calling for a boost in defense spending, and proposes $574 billion for national defense and $59 for overseas operations in fiscal 2017. That’s an increase from the current budget plan for next year, which calls for just $551 billion in base defense spending.
The RSC calls for a complete repeal of Obamacare, replacing it with a plan that would provide a standard deduction for health insurance that “would be a portable tax benefit that would encourage work while ensuring the federal government does not create another new entitlement program.”
The plan calls for a health insurance tax deduction of $7,500 for individuals or $20,500 for families. The RSC calls for ending taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood, which provides women’s health services as well as abortion.
The group also wants to reverse Obama’s executive actions deferring the deportation of millions of illegal immigrants. The RSC noted a Congressional Budget Office calculation that said deferring deportations will cost $14.9 billion in new welfare benefits for illegal immigrants.
The RSC recommendations will undoubtedly play a role in shaping the GOP agenda. The group represents more than half of the Republican Conference and many of their views are shared by GOP lawmakers and the GOP leadership.
Ryan has pledged to have the GOP agenda ready this year, in time to help sway voters, but he has made no commitment to putting the agenda into legislation that would receive a vote on the House floor.
