[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 81 (Tuesday, May 16, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S6744]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             WELFARE REFORM

  Mr. PELL. Mr. President, I have today received a copy of a resolution 
passed by the Rhode Island House of Representatives, outlining the 
devastating consequences that H.R. 4, the Personal Responsibility Act, 
would have on the State of Rhode Island if it becomes law.
  This resolution, introduced by Rhode Island State Representatives 
Benoit, Sherlock, Williams, Kellner, and Bumpus, articulates far better 
than I can the great damage that this legislation would do to the 
neediest of Rhode Island families.
  As the welfare debate begins in earnest in the Senate, I hope that my 
colleagues will bear in mind the strong opposition of many in my State 
to this proposal, and will heed in particular the part of the Rhode 
Island House of Representatives' resolution which urges us to ``Put 
children first by working for humane welfare reform that provides for 
all citizens in need during difficult economic times, that supports 
effective return-to-work programs, and that recognizes that the care 
given to our Nation's children is a shared Federal-State 
responsibility. * * *''
  I ask unanimous consent that the resolution passed by the Rhode 
Island House of Representatives on May 10, 1995, be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the resolution was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:
                            House Resolution

       Whereas, under the provisions of the Personal 
     Responsibility Act (H.R. 4), Aid to Families with Dependent 
     Children would be replaced by the Temporary Family Assistance 
     Block Grant, and the entitlement program which guarantees 
     benefits to all children who qualify would be eliminated. 
     Under the proposed block grant financing formula, Rhode 
     Island would receive $54 million less in federal funds over 
     the next five years, and an estimated 25,000 children would 
     be denied benefits; and
       Whereas, while the Personal Responsibility Act purports to 
     return control to the states, the block grant legislation, in 
     reality, contains many federal prohibitions limiting states' 
     freedom that would deny eligibility to several categories of 
     children and families; and
       Whereas, the Personal Responsibility Act would virtually 
     eliminate cash assistance to 21% of the disabled children 
     currently in the SSI program, and $27 million less in federal 
     funds would be available to Rhode Island over the next five 
     years; and
       Whereas, all child nutrition programs would be replaced by 
     two block grants; federal funding would be reduced by 10%; 
     federal nutrition standards would be repealed; eligibility 
     for food stamps would be sharply curtailed by federal 
     restrictions with the result that Rhode Island would receive 
     a combined total of $127 million less in federal funding over 
     the next five years; and
       Whereas, funding for several major child protection 
     programs would be sharply reduced and replaced by a block 
     grant, and Rhode Island would receive $15 million less in 
     federal funding over the next five years, sharply reducing 
     funds for adoption assistance, foster care, and the 
     computerization of the state's abuse and neglect tracking 
     system; and
       Whereas, essential child care programs that enable low-
     income families to work would lose their entitlement status; 
     Rhode Island would receive $8 million less in federal funding 
     over the next five years and $2.4 million less by the year 
     2000, thereby resulting in 1,570 fewer children receiving 
     assistance; and
       Whereas, most legal immigrants would be ineligible for most 
     programs, leading to a loss in federal aid to Rhode Island of 
     $72 million over the next five years; now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That this House of Representatives of the State 
     of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations hereby 
     respectfully requests that the Rhode Island Congressional 
     delegation:
       1. Oppose the Personal Responsibility Act (H.R. 4) as 
     passed by the United States House of Representatives; and
       2. Put children first by working for humane welfare reform 
     that provides for all citizens in need during difficult 
     economic times, that supports effective return-to-work 
     programs, and that recognizes that the care given to our 
     nation's children is a shared federal-state responsibility; 
     and be it further
       Resolved, That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is 
     authorized and directed to transmit duly certified copies of 
     this resolution to the members of the Rhode Island 
     Congressional Delegation.
     

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