Press releases

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R.-La) today asked Health and Human Services Sec. Alex Azar to aggressively pursue implementing work requirements for able-bodied Medicaid recipients.

Click here to watch the exchange. 

Highlights:

Medicaid Statistics: “I have seen numbers that show of the 70 million people on Medicaid, 28 million aren’t elderly or disabled and they still aren’t working.  We spend about $150 billion a year to take care of these people that could have a job.  Many of these folks would like to know the dignity of work, but they need a little help getting that job.”

Work Requirements: “We need to put together a program not to throw people out in the cold, but to say let us help you get a job.  It’s better for our fellow Americans to know the dignity of work, and it’s better for the American taxpayer.  The Administration needs to loudly and aggressively say that the free market will lift you out of poverty. I understand that the President is busy now, so we need you and CMS to take the lead on it.”

State Participation: “We are going to help people know the dignity of work. We need a program that is not optional for the states. My governor doesn’t want to do it.  I believe in more freedom, and he believes in more free stuff.  I am not criticizing him; I am just describing him.  This program should not be optional for governors.”

 

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