This spring, House Republicans started putting together ideas to show Americans what our conference stands for, or, as it has been named - A Better Way. This initiative is a slate full of ideas to address challenges that face our nation.

The idea behind A Better Way is to get America back on track with bold policy solutions. Instead of top down mandates from Washington, these proposals have been developed with input from Americans across our nation.

Just recently the first plan was rolled out and the focus is on how we can tackle poverty in our nation in a meaningful way. $22 trillion, more than our enormous national debt, has been spent on federal poverty programs in the 50 years since the Johnson Administration’s “War on Poverty.” However, the needle has barely moved. About the same percentage of the population that was impoverished in the 1960s is impoverished today: around 15 percent. If we are going to help Americans in poverty lift themselves up and protect taxpayers, we must do things differently.

So how is this plan different? First, our key objectives are different. Instead of simply spending money so that people can make ends meet, we want to help people move from welfare to work; shift the culture of dependence into independence; reward work, and not add any burden to taxpayers. We also want to shift the federal government away from the frontlines and empower individuals and local communities to lead these efforts

This is a topic I’ve long been interested in, particularly as the Chairman of the Housing and Insurance Subcommittee. In my subcommittee, we have had numerous discussions on how to address homelessness and how to find innovative housing solutions in both urban and rural areas. In fact, earlier this year, the House unanimously passed my comprehensive legislation that takes the first step in reforming programs and processes at the Department of Housing and Urban Development in 50 years.

What else does A Better Way achieve? We recognize that a job is the quickest and best way out of poverty, so this plan rewards work and demands results. In order to get more people into the workforce, we must increase the knowledge and skills of job-seekers so they can compete in a changing economy. One idea is for employers to design their own curriculum for job training so workers will know exactly what skills they need to succeed.

I have long said that parents, teachers, and local officials know what is best for the youth and communities. We must put the power of education back into the hands of those individuals at home so that great schools are not a privilege only for the wealthy.

Change is hard. That is something we can all agree on. There has to be “a better way” and we must move away from the status quo. We need to look forward and help people the best way possible which is through education, work, community, and accountability. If we work together, and empower one another , we can make a real difference across the nation.

For the next several weeks, this bulletin is going to focus on other planks of the Better Way agenda. The focus will be on national security, health-care, and other issues of importance. I hope you read through the ideas and if you want any additional information, please feel free to contact any of my offices.