[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 207 (Friday, December 22, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2444]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 4, PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY AND WORK 
                        OPPORTUNITY ACT OF 1995

                                 ______


                               speech of

                       HON. LUCILLE ROYBAL-ALLARD

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 27, 1995

  Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the 
Republicans' welfare reform proposal. Welfare reform should promote 
self-sufficiency in a way that does not compromise human dignity and 
self-respect, the cornerstones of the American tradition.
  Tragically, the Republican proposal does little to promote self-
sufficiency. It fails to provide specific resources for job training 
and placement which are necessary to help recipients become productive 
members of the work force. Yet it punishes those who, although willing, 
are unable to find work.
  The Republican plan violates the basic principles of human dignity 
and self respect. It punishes poor families, especially our children, 
by eliminating the guarantee of health services for poor families and 
denying critical health care to millions of women and children. In 
addition it allows States to deny benefits to innocent children who are 
born into families currently receiving assistance.
  Equally as tragic, the Republican bill eliminates our country's long-
standing commitment of a guaranteed safety net for people living in 
poverty. In Los Angeles County alone, thousands of children will join 
the nearly half a million children who already live below the poverty 
line.
  And it eliminates the safety net for all Americans who experience 
economic hardship resulting from the loss of their jobs and who depend 
on this safety net to protect their family until they can find other 
employment.
  The Republican plan does not do what it claims. It does not encourage 
responsibility and self-sufficiency. It will not help people to help 
themselves and worse, it severely punishes the most vulnerable among 
us, our children.
  While we can all agree on the need for welfare reform, the American 
people do not want a plan which violates the basic American principles 
of fairness, human dignity, and self-respect; the Republican bill 
violates all of these.

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