President Lyndon B. Johnson declared an “unconditional war on poverty in America” on January 8, 1964, and within a few years oversaw the creation of an array of programs “aimed not only to relieve the symptom of poverty, but to cure it and, above all, to prevent it.” In the 1964 Economic Report of the President, President Johnson’s Council of Economic Advisers outlined the many key points of attack:“maintaining high employment, accelerating economic growth, fighting discrimination, improving regional economies, rehabilitating urban and rural communities, improving labor markets, expanding educational opportunities, enlarging job opportunities for youth, improving the Nation’s health, promoting adult education and training, and assisting the aged and disabled.” The report ended with the declaration that,“It is time to renew our faith in the worth and capacity of all human beings; to recognize that, whatever their past history or present condition, all kinds of Americans can contribute to their country; and to allow Government to assume its responsibility for action and leadership in promoting the general welfare.” The War on Poverty ushered in a new era of Federal Government leadership in providing income and nutrition support, access to education, skills training, health insurance and a myriad of other services to low-income Americans. During President Johnson’s term, Congress passed more than a dozen major pieces of legislation that provided such foundational elements of our current social welfare system as the Civil Rights Act, the Economic Opportunity Act, the Food Stamp Act, Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the Manpower Act, Medicare, Medicaid, the Higher Education Act and the Child Nutrition Act. Since then, many of these programs have been reformed and updated, ensuring that the modern safety net assists families when they need it most, while also keeping them connected to the labor force.