[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 38 (Wednesday, March 1, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H2399-H2400]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      ELIMINATING THE SOCIAL DRUG

  (Mr. BURR asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BURR. Mr. Speaker, no one can dispute the fact that our current 
welfare system is in shambles. Many years ago, the Federal Government 
took responsibility for the disadvantaged away from communities and, 
after spending billions of dollars every year for 30 years, made the 
situation worse.
  [[Page H2400]] Now, by opposing the block grant concept, my Democrat 
colleagues and the Clinton administration are trying to convince the 
American people that big brother Government knows what's better for a 
community than the people who live there. They call this proposal mean 
spirited and callous. In reality, the only mean spirited thing in this 
whole debate is the current state of our welfare system.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, I think I understand why my colleagues oppose 
these reforms. They are simply afraid to admit the Great Society 
failed. But, now is the time for us to move on and begin transforming 
our welfare system from a social drug promoting dependence to a program 
that enables the participants to become productive members of society.


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