[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 144 (Friday, September 15, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S13673-S13674]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       THE DOLE-DASCHLE AGREEMENT

  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I support the Dole-Daschle agreement. 
This modification restores the Federal commitment to child care as an 
essential step in moving people from welfare to work. It also prevents 
an unacceptable tradeoff between job training for dislocated workers in 
the changing economy and workfare for those on welfare unable to find 
jobs in the private sector.
  Provisions on child care help to improve one of the most troubling 
features of this bill. Rather than end the Federal commitment to child 
care and put the funds into a general pool, we have reached agreement 
that a specific allocation of funds to child care is essential if we 
are serious about moving people from welfare to work.
  As a result of this agreement, fewer children will be left home alone 
and more families will be able to obtain the child care they need in 
order to take jobs to become self-sufficient.
  I am hopeful the progress we have made on this issue will be 
preserved in conference with the House of Representatives. For welfare 
reform to be worthy of the name, it must not punish innocent children 
because they happen to be born poor. It must provide genuine 
opportunities for their parents to find jobs.
 
[[Page S 13674]]

  The agreement to drop the job training provisions from the welfare 
reform package is a major victory for America's workers. We have made 
good progress on separate legislation to consolidate and reform the 
existing Federal job training system.
 That effort will continue on a separate track. And I am optimistic 
that we can reach bipartisan agreement on this needed, far-reaching 
reform.

  I commend Senator Kassebaum for her leadership.
  The current agreement enables us to keep faith with America's workers 
and keep the promises that we have made to dislocated workers. Large 
numbers of men and women have lost their jobs or have been laid off as 
a result of international trade agreements, base closings, corporate 
downsizing, environmental protection, and other economic disruptions. 
They deserve the chance to pick up the pieces of their lives and start 
anew, and sensible job training and job education programs can make 
that possible.
  Senator Kassebaum and many others on the other side of the aisle have 
worked closely with us in this effort, and I commend them for their 
leadership.
  I remain deeply troubled by the potential consequences for the most 
vulnerable in our society--poor children--if this so-called welfare 
reform bill passes, but these modifications are certainly an 
improvement. These major amendments on child care and job training have 
eased some of the most objectionable features of the welfare bill, but 
I continue to have serious reservations about the remaining provisions.
  I commend the leaders on both sides for their leadership shown on 
this issue.
  Mr. KERREY addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Frist). The Senator from Nebraska is 
recognized.

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