Thus, the debate became not only one about taxes, but vaguely about welfare programs in general.

FORBES: The Fiscal Cliff Diversion Has Nothing To Do With Tax Policy

The reversal is especially jarring in statehouses dominated by conservative Republicans, who aggressively cut welfare programs but now find themselves caught in a crosscurrent of pressures involving gun control, public safety and health care for millions of disadvantaged Americans.

NPR: After Shootings, States Rethink Mental Health Cuts

But there are 184 additional federal, means-tested welfare programs, most jointly financed and administered with the states.

FORBES: America's Ever Expanding Welfare Empire