Trump Cabinet members actions and issues: on Welfare & Poverty


Elaine Chao: Restored trust as CEO of United Way of America

Prior to the Department of Labor, Secretary Chao was President and Chief Executive Officer of United Way of America, where she restored public trust and confidence in one of America's premier institutions of private charitable giving, after it had been tarnished by financial mismanagement and abuse. Secretary Chao also served as Director of the Peace Corps, where she established the first programs in the Baltic nations and the newly independent states of the former Soviet Union.
Source: DOT official website for Trump Cabinet biographies Oct 5, 2018

Larry Kudlow: Be tougher on spending, including entitlement reform

Asked if the Trump administration would address "entitlement reform," chief economic advisor Larry Kudlow said it will "probably" look at "larger entitlements" next year. Entitlement reform generally refers to changes or cuts to large government social programs such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid or food stamps. "I don't want to be specific, but we'll get there," Kudlow said. "But I agree, we have to be tougher on spending."

Democrats jumped on the comments, with calls to protect health-care coverage and social safety-net programs while Republicans trim spending on those programs in order to make up for budget deficits of $1 trillion from last year's GOP tax cuts. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) tweeted that "Social Security and Medicare are on the line" in November's midterms.

Kudlow downplayed the effect of tax cuts on budget deficits and instead pointed to a longer-term spending problem. "People are quick to blame deficits on tax cuts," he said. "Well, I don't buy that."

Source: CNBC's Jacob Pramuk on 2018 Trump Cabinet Sep 18, 2018

Ben Carson: Eliminate income-based rent increases in public housing

Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson's plan for reforming public housing [includes] eliminating policies that increase rents as income goes up. "The current policies ensure that the more our residents earn, the more rent they have to pay. Where then, is the incentive to work, or to get a better paying job, or have two parents living together and sharing their wages? There isn't any, which really defies common sense. Our rent reform proposal, therefore, removes these perverse incentives by having a three-year recertification of income--and removes the requirement that tenants must report any income increases, immediately. One could even say it's like not having to pay taxes for three years," Carson said in his remarks.
Source: Housing Wire's Jeremiah Jensen on 2017 Trump Cabinet Sep 14, 2017

Ben Carson: Cycle people up and out of public housing developments

HUD Secretary Ben Carson spoke at the National Multifamily Housing Council's Fall Meeting. He highlighted the issues facing the American housing market and laid out plans to address housing shortages and persistent poverty.

Keeping with his previous rhetoric on the subject, Carson reiterated his commitment to finding a way to cycle people up and out of public housing developments. Carson laid out three components of his plan for reforming public housing.

  1. Eliminating policies that increase rents as income goes up.
  2. Allow public housing authorities the freedom to implement any of the Choice Rent structures for their properties.
  3. Use HUD funds to provide families in public housing with programs and resources that he hopes will help break poverty cycles.
Carson commented on the imbalance between supply and demand in the market and essentially said that private investment through public-private partnerships are the key to addressing the lack of affordable housing in the US.
Source: Housing Wire's Jeremiah Jensen on 2017 Trump Cabinet Sep 14, 2017

  • The above quotations are from Trump Cabinet members actions and issues.
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2020 Presidential contenders on Welfare & Poverty:
  Democrats running for President:
Sen.Michael Bennet (D-CO)
V.P.Joe Biden (D-DE)
Mayor Mike Bloomberg (I-NYC)
Gov.Steve Bullock (D-MT)
Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN)
Sen.Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Secy.Julian Castro (D-TX)
Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI)
Rep.John Delaney (D-MD)
Rep.Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)
Sen.Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Gov.Deval Patrick (D-MA)
Sen.Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
CEO Tom Steyer (D-CA)
Sen.Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Marianne Williamson (D-CA)
CEO Andrew Yang (D-NY)

2020 Third Party Candidates:
Rep.Justin Amash (L-MI)
CEO Don Blankenship (C-WV)
Gov.Lincoln Chafee (L-RI)
Howie Hawkins (G-NY)
Gov.Gary Johnson(L-NM)
Howard Schultz(I-WA)
Gov.Jesse Ventura (I-MN) 		Republicans running for President:
Sen.Ted Cruz(R-TX)
Gov.Larry Hogan (R-MD)
Gov.John Kasich(R-OH)
V.P.Mike Pence(R-IN)
Gov.Mark Sanford (R-SC)
Pres.Donald Trump(R-NY)
Rep.Joe Walsh (R-IL)
Gov.Bill Weld(R-MA & L-NY)

2020 Withdrawn Democratic Candidates:
Sen.Stacey Abrams (D-GA)
Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-NYC)
Sen.Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Sen.Mike Gravel (D-AK)
Sen.Kamala Harris (D-CA)
Gov.John Hickenlooper (D-CO)
Gov.Jay Inslee (D-WA)
Mayor Wayne Messam (D-FL)
Rep.Seth Moulton (D-MA)
Rep.Beto O`Rourke (D-TX)
Rep.Tim Ryan (D-CA)
Adm.Joe Sestak (D-PA)
Rep.Eric Swalwell (D-CA)
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Page last updated: Dec 03, 2021