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In their new "Better Way" proposal on poverty and welfare, Republicans call for "increasing local control and flexibility." But it's clear that they're just using new words to dress up an old, bad idea: turning federal anti-poverty programs into block grants.

Fifty years ago, we as a nation declared a war on poverty and began our mission to create policies that help lift families out of poverty, improve nutrition and health care, and promote work. This effort has succeeded in reducing poverty in America by nearly 50 percent in 2014.

Now, there’s definitely more work to do. Today, 47 million Americans live in poverty, including one in five children.