Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) plans to deliver a major speech on the federal government’s war on poverty Wednesday, an effort to boost his political profile after a rocky 2013.
Rubio will call for reforms to anti-poverty programs, which have had a mixed record of success since President Lyndon Baines Johnson launched them 50 years ago.
Rubio will speak at 2:30 pm Wednesday in the Capitol’s Lyndon Baines Johnson Room just off the Senate floor.
{mosads}The Florida senator released a video messaging over the weekend criticizing what he called LBJ’s failed effort.
“For millions of Americans living in poverty, the American Dream does not seem reachable — and that’s unacceptable,” he said Sunday. “After 50 years, isn’t it time to declare big government’s war on poverty a failure?”
Rubio said the nation needs a “real agenda” that helps people acquire the skills they need to compete for high-wage jobs.