[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 55 (Friday, March 24, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H3736]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             WELFARE REFORM

  (Mr. NORWOOD asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. NORWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I hear the other side wail and whine that 
we are hurting the children. Perhaps they are so busy defending the 
status quo that they fail to see the dismal failure our system has 
become. Perhaps they think it is compassionate for our system to 
encourage illegitimacy. Perhaps they think that it is OK for 1 in 3 
babies in this Nation to be born out of wedlock. Perhaps they think it 
is OK that the average length of stay on welfare today is 13 years. But 
it is not OK, Mr. Speaker. It is unbelievable that we ever allowed the 
Federal Government to become the caretakers for so many people. 
Fortunately, Mr. Speaker, the American people know better. They realize 
that we can do nothing worse than to keep the current system. It is 
just sad to see that the other side is so wedded to big government, 
nanny-State programs that they fail to see what is right. * * * What is 
right is voting to end the current welfare system today.


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