>If they were forced to re-patriate and pay taxes on that cash, how could that not "help the poor"?

That would mostly benefit politicians and their beneficiaries, not exactly 'the poor'. Very little of the $$ spent by the government helps 'the poor', unless you're counting our severely underpaid military.

>Very little of the $$ spent by the government helps 'the poor

Do you have any idea what the aggregate size of transfer payments are in the US? Yes, you can point to inefficiencies all over the place, but it doesn't change the fact that there is a massive social net for the poor in the US.

Repatriate what? Income that was earned overseas?