[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 101 (Wednesday, July 10, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H7163]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             WELFARE REFORM

  (Mr. ARMEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, today is the deadline this administration 
imposed on itself for granting Wisconsin the freedom to reform its 
welfare system. Two-thirds of the Wisconsin Legislature approved a 
welfare reform plan that requires work and restores the values of 
responsibility and family. President Clinton endorsed the Wisconsin 
reforms in a radio address to the Nation and eventually agreed to 
approve the plan by today, July 10,
  Remember President Clinton's campaign promise to end welfare as we 
know it? That promise energized the Nation's Governors, who have put 
forward ambitious plans to reward work over dependency. But State 
legislators eager to end welfare as we know it have been forced to sit 
on their hands, waiting for permission from Washington, only to have 
bureaucrats rewrite their welfare reform plans and make them 
ineffective.
  Welfare as we know it continues, despite enormous effort from our 
Nation's Governors.
  The President has vetoed welfare reform twice, despite his campaign 
promise. Today he has a chance to keep another welfare reform promise, 
this one made to the people of Wisconsin--or, Mr. Speaker, is this not 
one of the promises the President meant to keep?

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