[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 36 (Friday, March 25, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 25, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                             WELFARE REFORM

  Mr. BROWN. Mr. President, this morning, I was disappointed to see a 
note in the Wall Street Journal that the President's welfare reform 
proposal is unlikely to reach Congress even by late April. With recent 
polls showing that Americans are at least as concerned about welfare 
reform as health care reform, we must begin work on the issue.
  Two months ago, Senators Dole, Packwood, and I introduced a welfare 
reform plan, S. 1795. There are now 19 Republican Senators on that bill 
and we would welcome any other Senators, on either side of the aisle to 
join us. S. 1795 is not a perfect bill, no bill of this magnitude is 
perfect on introduction. But S. 1795 is a starting place. It is a 
beginning for the very important debate we must have about our welfare 
system. It is a start at reforming a system that is hurting all of us, 
but most especially welfare beneficiaries.
  S. 1795 is not the only welfare reform bill which has been introduced 
while we await the President's proposal. H.R. 3500, the House 
Republican welfare reform bill, has 162 cosponsors. Senator Kassebaum 
has introduced a very intriguing bill swapping Federal funding of 
Medicaid for allowing States to design and operate their own welfare 
programs. I'm a cosponsor of Senator Kassebaum's bill. Similarly, 
Senator Faircloth has been working on a welfare reform proposal of his 
own and we've had several discussions about his ideas and proposals. 
Senators Bond and Harkin have circulated a ``Dear Colleague'' letter 
about welfare reform legislation they plan to introduce shortly.
  Through his Finance Subcommittee on Social Security and Family 
Policy, Senator Breaux has held oversight hearings on AFDC and the Jobs 
Program we instituted in 1988 in the Family Support Act. Several of our 
Democrat colleagues have also been drafting welfare reform bills. 
Senator Lieberman has introduced a bill and Senator Kohl  is drafting 
another. In the House, Representative McCurdy and the mainstream forum 
are working no legislation.
  One of the things that strikes me about almost all of these proposals 
is how much agreement there is. First, we agree that the system is not 
working and must be changed. Second, we generally agree that there are 
some responsibilities that able-bodied adults on welfare should assume, 
that is, working or preparing themselves to work. The problem of rising 
illegitimacy rates and the link to long-term welfare dependency is 
recognized and there are several different proposals to address the 
problem. Paternity establishment and child support enforcement are 
acknowledged as priorities.
  The interest in welfare reform is there--both by the public and here 
in Congress. We have the vehicles to begin, let's not wait.

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