America is the land of opportunity. Abundant work has lifted millions of people out of poverty and helped them climb the ladder of success. For over five decades, America has spent trillions of dollars on government programs that were supposed to eradicate poverty, but sadly, consistently failed at that mission. Our social safety net exists to support individuals who fall on difficult times and help them transition back into independence. The government should reform our public assistance programs to focus on the truly needy and enact policies that grow our economy to expand work.