State and local reforms have already occurred – the affirmative is the “Federal Follow-on” that the neg is talking about – without the plan, the trend will reverse
Lu, 2021 - Co-Director, Economic Justice Project, CUNY School of Law [Lynn, CUNY School of Law Publications and Research “From Stigma to Dignity? Transforming Workfare with Universal Basic Income and a Federal Job Guarantee” https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cl_pubs/344/ TA]
Welfare reform at the national level was inspired by local experiments, including the punitive system first rolled out in New York City by the Giuliani administration.147 But just as the city’s example inspired a nationwide embrace of the 1990s’ negative Work First philosophy, the city’s recent rollback of some of the worst workfare features can and should provide hope for workfare reform that may reduce the stigma of benefits receipt and eliminate unemployment for those seeking work. So long as the trend moves toward expanding and supporting, rather than limiting and punishing participant choices, New York City could model how to make vast improvements in the lives of low-income households, mitigating the racial wealth gap and spreading the social safety net beneath those who need it most.