State of Pennsylvania secondary Archives: on Welfare & Poverty


Dwight Evans: Federal funding for urban poverty has not kept up

Dwight believes that now is the time for America to focus on the fact that despite a more urban population, Washington has ignored the need for a Federal urban plan. Since 1975, the population of America's cities has grown by 100 million people. Yet, Federal funding to combat poverty, provide better housing and schools, and create jobs has not kept up. The Community Development Block Grant program, meant to battle poverty, provide affordable housing, and infrastructure development, provides less funding per capita than it did forty years ago. And in this century, the program has been cut 46%.

For Philadelphia, the result is that it is the poorest big city in America, with 200,000 individuals living in "deep poverty," while tens of thousands of others just live in "poverty." Our school system is in crisis. And all of this is happening while jobs have been lost and wages have stagnated.

Source: 2016 Pennsylvania House campaign website DwightEvans.com Nov 8, 2016

Ed Rendell: Cut waste & fraud in welfare & food stamps

We have been tireless in our pursuit of eliminating wasteful and fraudulent spending. As a result, PA is a national example for cutting down on welfare & food stamp fraud & abuse. We also have implemented state of the art systems to make sure that only US citizens who qualify for them receive public benefits. Only seven years ago the state struggled to move welfare recipients to work. Today the percentage of single parents who are collecting TANF and who are working or in training is at an all-time hig
Source: Pennsylvania 2010 State of the State Address Feb 9, 2010

Josh Shapiro: Raise SNAP benefit, free breakfast in public schools

I'm proposing a new state investment in SNAP to raise the minimum monthly benefit by 50% so people who are struggling can feed themselves and their families. How can we expect our kids to pay attention in class, learn, and succeed if they haven't eaten all day? That's why I want to give free breakfast to every child in our public schools. It shouldn't be OK to anyone here that people are going to bed hungry and kids are going all day without a meal.
Source: 2023 State of the State Address to Pennsylvania legislature Mar 7, 2023

John Fetterman: Fight GOP cutting SNAP benefits for families & kids

John Fetterman released the following statement on House Republicans' plan to cut funding for SNAP: "Cut SNAP for families and kids while pushing tax cuts for billionaires? Not on my watch."

Sen. Fetterman will chair his first subcommittee hearing in the Subcommittee on Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics, and Research for a hearing will focus specifically on SNAP and the critical assistance it provides to working families through the upcoming Farm Bill.

Source: Senate press release on 2022 Pennsylvania Senate race Apr 12, 2023

  • The above quotations are from Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Politicians: secondary Archives.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Welfare & Poverty.
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2024 Presidential contenders on Welfare & Poverty:
  Candidates for President & Vice-President:
V.P.Kamala Harris (D-CA)
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.(I-CA)
Chase Oliver(L-GA)
Dr.Jill Stein(D-MA)
Former Pres.Donald Trump(R-FL)
Sen.J.D.Vance(R-OH)
Gov.Tim Walz(D-MN)
Dr.Cornel West(I-NJ)

2024 presidential primary contenders:
Pres.Joe_Biden(D-DE)
N.D.Gov.Doug Burgum(R)
N.J.Gov.Chris_Christie(R)
Fla.Gov.Ron_DeSantis(R)
S.C.Gov.Nikki_Haley(R)
Ark.Gov.Asa_Hutchinson(R)
Former V.P.Mike Pence(R-IN)
U.S.Rep.Dean_Phillips(D-MN)
Vivek_Ramaswamy(R-OH)
S.C.Sen.Tim_Scott(R)
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Page last updated: Feb 06, 2026