[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 25 (Wednesday, February 8, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E293]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                     CLEANING UP THE WELFARE SYSTEM

                                 ______


                          HON. ELIOT L. ENGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, February 8, 1995
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, we've heard a lot about the tough decisions 
that need to be made in order to clean up the welfare system and put 
our economy back on track. Cutting off payments to families or putting 
funding into State block grants are not the tough solution to our 
welfare problems. I often make note of the fact that, as a State 
legislator I had to deal with block grant issues. Most often, it is 
only a way of moving the responsibility for painful cuts to the States. 
The block grants proposed by the Republicans drastically reduce funding 
for these programs but these proposals over-simplify a very complex 
problem and do not sufficiently address the factors that contribute to 
unemployment and welfare dependency.
  Yes, we should cut the waste and abuse in the system. I agree that we 
should root out the fraud in our welfare programs. But, the fact is 
that real welfare reform must also address job creation, job training, 
and an increase in the minimum wage. I'm very glad to be participating 
in this special order this evening, organized by Mr. Sanders and Mr. 
Owens. These are issues that must be addressed in any welfare reform 
bill and they must be addressed by any government that hopes to lower 
its unemployment level while raising the standard of living of its 
people.
  I do not know anyone in this House, Republican or Democrat, who would 
argue with the premise that our ultimate goal in welfare reform is to 
move people off of the welfare roles and into jobs. We must, however, 
make sure that people are getting good jobs that provide a livable 
wage. I believe that the majority of people on welfare right now would 
jump at the opportunity to work and provide for themselves and their 
families. What, then, is preventing a welfare recipient from finding a 
decent job? Those jobs that are within a person's grasp do not pay 
enough to sustain a family and due to lack of training, higher paying 
jobs are also not within their reach.
  Earlier this week, I spoke on the House floor about the choices a 
single mother on welfare would face. If she goes on welfare, she can 
get comprehensive health care and a monthly check from the Government. 
If she goes to work at a minimum wage job she earns only $8,800 a year, 
and her family loses their health coverage. She must find a way to care 
for her children while she is at work. That is not much of a choice. 
Throwing these women off the welfare roles will not erase these 
problems. That is a smoke and mirrors reform.
  The Republican approach to welfare reform limits benefits to 2 years, 
and only 2 years. I have no problem with moving people into the work 
force as soon as possible, but we must face the fact that, if the jobs 
are not there, no punitive measure will change the welfare recipient's 
behavior. The Economic Policy Institute estimates that there are over 
12 million unemployed people in this country. These people must be 
trained for jobs which will raise them up out of poverty and give them 
stable income.
  Today's minimum wage is worth 30 percent less than what it was worth 
in the 1970's. An increase in the minimum wage is a necessary step in 
providing people with the tools they need to bringing themselves out of 
poverty. We cannot move welfare recipients into a position where they 
join the growing number of working poor. Of all poor children, 38 
percent under 6 years old have parents who work full or part time. They 
are working to support their families but cannot make enough money to 
live above the poverty line. In 1992, a full-time worker only grossed 
$8,800, that is $3,500 below the poverty line for a family of three: 
$11,186. How can we expect to move welfare recipients into this 
subsistence level of employment with no health care and no job 
training?
  We must create a system that rewards work and does not punish someone 
for trying to be independent. We must make the tough decisions. We must 
say that job creation, training and an increased wages are national 
priorities. We must commit to programs that will help us reach a goal 
of a stable, self-sufficient employment for all Americans.


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