Recent Republican attempts to weaken the social safety net have one big thing in common: The pain they would inflict on poor children could last a lifetime. This is not only miserly but also shortsighted. Research shows that safety net programs keep children in school and out of trouble, and increase their chances of being healthier and living longer. All of this has a positive effect on our economy.

In August, the Trump administration said it was considering a rule that would penalize green card applicants if anyone in their family had ever relied on a safety net program, such as food stamps or Medicaid. It’s estimated that in New York City alone, a million immigrants would be affected by the new rule and perhaps forced to choose between their green cards and putting food on the table. The public comment period on it ends next week.

Then there is the administration’s push to add work requirements to the food stamp program and Medicaid, part of an executive order President Trump signed in April. A new farm bill has been held up for months by the insistence of Republicans in the House that the already stringent work requirements for food stamps be toughened.

Work requirements have been successfully piled onto Medicaid recipients. The administration encouraged states to apply for waivers that would let them impose work requirements, and some have started to do so. In Arkansas, the first state in the 50-year history of the program to insist that poor people who are not disabled find work or go without health care , more than 4,300 people were dropped from the rolls in a single month for not adhering to the new rules. With the administration’s blessing, several other states are poised to follow sui t.