[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 34 (Thursday, February 23, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H2071]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                       REPLACE WELFARE WITH WORK

  (Mr. FORD asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. FORD. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of a strong work 
program to replace our welfare system in this Nation. What the American 
people will get with the Republican bill is the illusion of a work-
based welfare system. This bill wishes for more work that the 
Republicans have submitted to the Committee on Ways and Means, but it 
does not require work. It offers weaker work requirements than current 
law.
  Mr. Speaker, it is time for us to say to the American people we are 
going to replace welfare with work. This bill does nothing to hold 
States accountable for performance. As if by magic, expect more 
families on welfare to go to work. The work requirements in their 
welfare bill will not work and serve the welfare population of this 
Nation. If it does not happen, then what we do in the Republican bill 
is we punish the children of the welfare population.
  This bill is mean-spirited and shortsighted, and it is just plain 
mean on children in this country, and we ask for an alternative 
package, and that package would respond to the human needs of the 
people.

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