The Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA) is helping able-bodied adults move from welfare to work and making sure resources are protected for the truly needy.

During the economic crisis, the federal government implemented new waivers to allow states to pause work requirements for welfare recipients, intending to help make sure those recipients got back on their feet. This only worsened a trend that began during the Clinton administration with federal loopholes allowing states to game the system, trapping millions of able-bodied adults in a cycle of dependency. Despite the booming economy, one-third of the country still lives in areas where able-bodied adults are exempt from proven food stamp work requirements.

The Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA) launched an educational campaign to rein in waiver abuse and close this massive loophole. The aim: To empower able-bodied adults to find meaningful work and make sure the food stamp program effectively serves those who need it most.

FGA’s multiyear campaign educates policymakers and offers solutions

Ask FGA what was behind this success, and the team will credit it to a patient but persistent multi-year effort: “The campaign was successful because it wasn’t just one-off research; it was the culmination of years of research, multiple papers, and ongoing marketing campaigns.”

At the center of the campaign was FGA’s 2019 report, “Waivers Gone Wild: How states are still fostering dependency,” which highlighted the abuse both nationally and at the state level. This was a follow up to FGA’s publication in May 2018: “Waivers Gone Wild: How states have exploited food stamp loopholes.”

FGA also developed visuals to emphasize just how widespread the problem was. In March 2019, FGA released a food stamp work requirement map showing the prevalence of waived work requirements across the United States.

Having invested in credible research and other educational materials, the next step was to get the information into the hands of decision makers who could make positive changes. FGA sent the 2019 “Waivers Gone Wild” report to federal officials, as well as state policymakers in key states like Louisiana and Georgia. FGA paired this outreach with a strategic media campaign, which included op-ed placements, an exclusive media placement, and a citation in Politico’s Morning Agriculture.

FGA and its partner organization—the Opportunity Solutions Project—educated staff at the White House, the United States Department of Agriculture, and dozens of Congressional offices about the abuse of waivers. FGA used state case studies on abuse to inform agriculture and welfare staffers during the 2018 Farm Bill process. On December 20, 2018, the Trump administration announced a proposed rule to rein in state abuse of loopholes and waivers of work requirements. FGA communicated with other state think tanks in the Network about the opportunity to provide educational comments on the proposed rule. Additionally, FGA’s policy team was a resource for analysis on the proposed regulatory language and for specific solutions that policymakers could champion.

In September 2018, FGA CEO and President Tarren Bragdon testified before the House of Representative’s Committee on Oversight and Government Reform regarding food stamp fraud. Bragdon’s testimony highlighted successful state efforts to curb fraud and abuse and pointed out how the country’s strong economy underscores the need for reform at the federal level.

What started as a state level issue quickly earned attention at the federal level, thanks to FGA’s efforts. Through an extensive marketing and outreach campaign, FGA educated policymakers about the problem while offering policy solutions to eliminate these loopholes, allowing millions of people to realize the power and dignity of work. In states that have restored the work requirement, the able-bodied adults who transitioned from welfare to work earned higher incomes than they did when they depended on welfare. These increased incomes more than offset lost benefits, and former individuals found work in more than 1,000 different industries.

The administration’s rule is a historic step in the right direction and will help men and women across the country reenter the workforce in this booming economy. FGA continues to push for reforms like these that reduce welfare dependency and put people on the path to work.

For their efforts to shed light on this important issue and improve the lives of millions of Americans, FGA received State Policy Network’s 2019 Bob Williams Award for Best Issue Campaign.