The Trump administration is preparing a plan to reorganize the federal government and move welfare programs into the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), according to Politico.
Politico reported that the reorganization plan seeks to move welfare programs, notably food stamps, into HHS, so that such programs are under one roof. Food stamps are currently housed in the Department of Agriculture.
The plan could also seek to rename HHS, possibly to include “welfare” in the name, according to the report.
The reorganization could face tough odds of coming into fruition, given it would likely require congressional approval.
{mosads}The plan could fit with administration priorities around reforming welfare programs. The administration has sought to impose work requirements on a variety of programs that are currently housed under different departments.
For example, HHS, for the first time, is allowing states to impose work requirements on Medicaid recipients. Some Republicans characterize Medicaid as “welfare,” a term that Democrats reject for the program.
The House farm bill also would have imposed work requirements in the food stamps program. The bill was defeated on the House floor last month, though, amid a conservative revolt over immigration.
The reorganization could mean that the congressional agriculture committees would lose their jurisdiction over the food stamps program, which they could be resistant to giving up.
Before 1979, HHS did have “welfare” in its title, and was known as the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. That year, the separate Department of Education was created by Congress, and the department was renamed.