That's one way to look at it. Another is that as a nation, we don't allow our citizens to starve. Is it better to be a third world country where the poor starve?
the Bible says
"For there will never cease to be poor in the land. Therefore I command you, ‘You shall open wide your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor, in your land.’
As a nation, we decided that since there will always be poor people, we will treat them with humanity. The funny thing about it getting Democratic votes is that the poor vote less than anybody so it would be the wrong votes to buy.