US Representatives Tour Welfare Square

Members of the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee visited Welfare Square in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Friday, July 12, 2024. The elected officials and staff were in town for a field hearing on medical innovation. The committee, which is concerned about unemployment and welfare, was given a tour of the facility to better understand the Church’s world-renowned welfare system. 

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“There’s no better-run welfare program than The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” said U.S. Rep. Blake Moore (Utah), who serves on the Ways and Means Committee. “So, I wanted (my colleagues) to at least experience what I often communicate to them, of the protocols and procedures (used) within our faith, to show them how well it works.”

Elder Carl B. Cook of the Presidency of the Seventy was there to welcome the group as they stepped off the bus and offered welcoming remarks before accompanying them on the tour.

“We believe in Jesus Christ and strive to follow Him and His teachings,” he said. “We believe in the great two commandments — to love God and to love our fellow man. And there are many ways that you can show your love. One is through service, and as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, there’s an inherent desire to help others and to lift and to serve. And some of the ways that you do that is to provide for them.”

The committee members were then guided through the bishops’ storehouse, where they learned that it is set up like a grocery store without cash registers for those who are food insecure; the bakery, where they sampled fresh-baked bread; Deseret Industries, where they learned people from all walks of life are trained and employed and the store’s proceeds are used for the training program; and Welfare Square’s dairy, where the group learned about the production of cheese and other dairy products.

“The reason that the Church can provide for others is not an administrative headquarters effort; it’s individual people making sacrifices, contributions and serving to make it work,” said Elder Cook.

“Government can’t do it all, and so it is important that we have reliable partners,” said U.S. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (New York).

“We need to work more with organizations and our churches to help fill the needs of our fellow individuals,” she added. “It’s really impressive to see this.”

The Ways and Means Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives has jurisdiction over programs such as Social Security, Medicare, unemployment insurance and temporary assistance for families in need.