[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 49 (Thursday, March 16, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H3280]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


    DEMOCRATS WILL WORK NEXT WEEK TO BRING ABOUT REAL WELFARE REFORM

  (Mr. LEVIN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, the House Republican extremist express is 
headed into overdrive next week. The Republican welfare reform proposal 
is soft on linking welfare to work, which must be the linchpin of 
welfare reform, and it is hard on punishing children, when the aim of 
welfare reform should be to help children break out of the cycle of 
dependency and poverty.
  The Republican plan would allow States to meet participation rates if 
not a single person on welfare in the State were moved from welfare to 
work, and it would punish kids if their mother is under 18, if they are 
a second child in a family, or handicapped, or in foster care.
  Republicans are saying ``Live by the book, by the words of the 
Contract,'' regardless of the consequences. Welfare reform is vitally 
needed, real welfare reform. Democrats will work next week to bring 
that about, not to recklessly ride over the cliff with the Republican 
proposal.

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