[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 207 (Friday, December 22, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S19181]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       BIPARTISAN WELFARE REFORM

  Mr. MOYNIHAN. Mr. President, I simply want to make the announcement, 
now that we have had a near unanimous vote on the Democratic side 
against this measure which would affect 39 percent of the children in 
our country, we would like to turn to the President's proposal. In his 
statement yesterday he said he will veto this bill. But, he said, ``I 
am determined to work with Congress to achieve real bipartisan welfare 
reform.'' I just this moment was speaking with my friend from New 
Mexico, who made very serious proposals in that regard. Let us do it.
  But, sir, it has to be done here in the Congress--in cooperation with 
the Executive. An hour from now, the 11 Democratic Senators who voted 
against this measure in September --Mr. Akaka, Mr. Bradley, Mr. 
Kennedy, Mr. Kerrey of Nebraska, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. Leahy, Ms. 
Moseley-Braun, Mr. Sarbanes, Mr. Simon, Mr. Wellstone, and I--will send 
a letter to the President encouraging the proposal for a bipartisan 
welfare reform, but saying it cannot be done in a 4-day or 3-day summit 
budget conference. This must not come back to us in a proposal put 
together in 3 days in a room with four people. This is a task for the 
Congress. We look forward to it. We welcome it. But we put the 
President respectfully on notice that we must be involved.
  Mr. President, I thank the majority leader for allowing me to use 
this time in morning business, and I yield the floor.

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