[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 58 (Wednesday, March 29, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H3884]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            WELFARE RECIPIENTS ARE HUMAN BEINGS, NOT ANIMALS

  (Mr. FOGLIETTA asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. FOGLIETTA. Mr. Speaker, in politics, today, we make points by 
making good sound bites.
  I wonder if my colleagues on the other side of the aisle got the 
sound bite they wanted on welfare this past weekend? The soundbite 
winner-by far was our millionaire friend from Florida who compared 
people who are forced to seek Government assistance to alligators.
  Last week, I asked the question, ``Do we really have to divide 
America to reform welfare?'' I do not think so. But I am deeply afraid 
that others have a different agenda based on divineness, race-baiting 
and the meanest kind of speech I can think of.
  I represent 1 of the 10 poorest districts in America. On behalf of my 
constituents, I ask for an apology from those who compared decent human 
beings to alligators, to wolves, and to mothers not capable of caring 
for a committee chairman's cat.
  People forced on welfare are people. Not animals. They want to work--
we owe them real solutions to provide them jobs and the tools to keep 
those jobs. We also owe them an apology for degrading them on the floor 
of this House.

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