Senator Rand Paul has focused on advancing policies that solve problems prevalent in cities. One of those policies, focused on combating poverty, will be up for a vote soon.
Speaker Paul Ryan is known for being close to the late Jack Kemp and focusing on combating poverty, but he’s not alone. Earlier this week, Paul began a floor speech by noting, “Jack Kemp and others who have looked and examined the issue of poverty, have often found that we haven’t done a great job alleviating poverty.”
Paul added that poverty persists despite the implementation of numerous government programs.
The Kentucky senator proposes lowering taxes and reducing regulations in areas with high unemployment rates. His bill would leave hundreds of millions of tax dollars where poverty persists.
His Economic Freedom Zones Act of 2015, which he first introduced over a year ago, “will establish free market enterprise zones and dramatically reduce taxes in order to help facilitate the creation of new jobs, entrepreneurial opportunities, enhance and renew educational opportunities and increase community involvement in bankrupt or economically distressed areas,” according to Paul. The legislation will be voted on as an amendment to the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.
The Kentucky senator hopes that “the largest anti-poverty initiative since the War on Poverty” receives bipartisan support. “There are many communities in our country, and throughout Kentucky, still waiting and praying for economic recovery and opportunity.”
Paul outlines how the legislation would help in the near future and the far future here. It includes provisions related to education reform and help for homeless shelters.
While Paul is better known for his anti-NSA efforts, he has long focused on policies related to cities. He has worked on reforming the criminal justice system, reforming occupational licensing, and bringing conservative economic solutions to cities.
