By , ,
Published December 20, 2015
Rep. Steve Southerland, R-Fla., told Fox News’ Mallory Factor that the solution to America’s poverty problem lies with states doing more to make Americans less reliant on federal welfare programs.
Southerland says the plan to fight poverty set by President Johnson 50 years ago has “not gone as well as it should.”
He points out the federal government “has spent 15 trillion dollars in fighting poverty while at the same time we have been fighting business … yet we know economic freedom is the best system in the world to end poverty.”
Southerland argued there are four factors that determine if someone will get out of poverty: faith, family, education, and a career path.
“What we need to do is really introduce people to these [opportunities] … it’s going to take private industry, private companies to do that because the government is not really good at a lot of those things,” said Southerland.
The White House has proposed raising the federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour as a way to fight poverty.
Southerland says “the president doesn’t understand” how his proposal “will eliminate jobs.”
“This president continues to put downward pressure on business owners and I think the minimum wage is another example of how this president is going to say one thing but his actions are going to harm those he claims he cares for,” said Southerland.
Watch the full interview with Rep. Steve Southerland above.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/rep-southerland-federal-mismanagement-hurting-those-on-welfare