Special Report from U.S. Representative John Ratcliffe

Texas Insider Report: WASHINGTON D.C. For decades Americans have sought solutions to end the ongoing battle against poverty. And as a limited-government conservative I share the concerns expressed by President Ronald Reagan over the ineffectiveness of the costly and duplicative government programs that have hardly moved the needle in this fight. Instead of throwing in the towel on this tough issue Ive joined my fellow Republicans in supporting fiscally responsible measures that are truly effective at helping those in need. We believe these strategies have the biggest impact when combined with community efforts that are proven to be effective. I hope you can take a moment to read my op-ed published in the Texarkana Gazette this week (Note: this Op-ed is found in our OPED Section below) which demonstrates how the compassionate volunteer work of folks back home can greatly enhance our overall plan to eradicate poverty. The federal government should strive to empower and support these community-based efforts not replace or smother them.