The American Worker Task Force (AWTF), a Republican Study Committee (RSC) Task Force chaired by U.S. Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY), last week released a final report making recommendations on how the nation should refocus the American education system, labor policy, and welfare programs.
“The report released today by the AWTF could not be a more timely endeavor as it provides a roadmap that will empower millions of Americans to reclaim his or her American dream,” said Rep. Barr during a Sept. 22 floor speech on the report, entitled “Reclaiming the American Dream: A Vision to Empower Today’s and Tomorrow’s Worker.”
The report is the result of almost two years of deliberations by task force members who conducted listening sessions with think tanks and policy experts, small business owners and higher education administrators, and workers from across their districts to compile a list of over 100 policy recommendations, according to Rep. Barr’s office.
“These proposals debunk the bachelors-or-bust mentality and would realign our education system to level the playing field and clear a path for innovative and in-demand career opportunities,” Rep. Barr said, noting that the report recognizes “the dignity of work” by reforming a federal welfare system that has left generations of Americans in a cycle of government dependence.
For instance, AWTF welfare-related policy recommendations include that Congress codify the Trump administration’s rule to strengthen work requirements in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also called food stamps, for able-bodied adults without dependents, and decrease dependency on government housing programs by increasing the portability of Housing Vouchers.
To refine the U.S. education system, AWTF recommended policies such as reducing the federal role in the student loan market to allow for more private lenders and to link federal support for higher education institutions to post-graduation student success.
And to refocus America’s labor policy, the task force recommended several policies, such as increasing apprenticeship opportunities and removing unnecessary regulations on employers that hinder their abilities to offer increased opportunities for American workers.
“Our nation is at a crossroads and this pro-worker agenda that emphasizes the American work ethic and capitalist successes will propel us forward to economic stability and prosperity,” said Rep. Barr.