When Republicans draft a budget resolution in the coming months, outlining spending parameters and policy priorities, one challenge will be securing agreement between “establishment” Senate Republicans and their more conservative colleagues in the House. Any budget can be expected to reflect long-held ideals on reducing duplication and inefficiency in government programs that deliver social services to low-income and at-risk populations. Given the GOP’s history of proposing cuts to social programs, and the criticism such proposals have garnered, a new approach is needed to shepherd a budget through the Senate.
Federal job training programs are one place to look. Traditionally, such programs have focused on training job seekers independent of whether the training results in people getting and keeping a job, leaving few ways to measure the effectiveness of the approximately $18 billion the government spends every year to train those who need work.