[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 35 (Friday, February 24, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H2219]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   LET US NOT BEGIN A WAR ON THE POOR

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Connecticut [Mr. Franks] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. FRANKS of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, affirmative action affects 
mostly African-Americans.
  Welfare? Almost half of the recipients are African-Americans.
  Forty-six percent of black children are deemed poor, thus a number of 
food programs are more frequently used by African-Americans.
  Most of the people in public housing are African-Americans.
  As we continue to address these issues, the question is, Mr. Speaker, 
are we, as a Congress, looking at constructive changes or merely 
attacks toward African-Americans and the poor? Sadly, Mr. Speaker, at 
this point I am not quite sure.
  It should be noted that to change human behavior one would use sticks 
and carrots, rewards and punishments. Using sticks only to alter 
behavior would cause one to earn the mean-spirited label.
  Let us remember that we help our Nation by strengthening our weakest 
link, not by crushing it. Being compassionate toward the less fortunate 
is not a liberal or a conservative concept.
  The Democrat-led War on Poverty was a failure back during the 1960's. 
Let us not begin a war on the poor.


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