[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 108 (Monday, July 22, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1335]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    OREGON'S WELFARE-TO-WORK PROGRAM

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ELIZABETH FURSE

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 22, 1996

  Ms. FURSE. Mr. Speaker, Oregon has an outstanding welfare-to-work 
program in place that has allowed Oregon to achieve one of the Nation's 
steepest declines in welfare cases. Since March 1994, our welfare 
caseload has dropped from 44,000 to 32,000, and State officials expect 
that these numbers will fall to less than 25,000 in the next 4 years. 
Most of the credit for this success goes to our vigorous JOBS welfare-
to-work program and the Oregon Health Plan, which provides health 
insuracne to pepole who otherwise would go on welfare.
  Oregon has received waivers from the Federal Government which allow 
sweeping changes in our welfare system. These waivers enable Oregon to 
require all welfare recipients to seek jobs to move their families out 
of poverty. The goal is for families on welfare to take control of 
their lives and avoid long-term dependence on welfare. Like the Castle-
Tanner substitute and the underlying bill, Oregon's JOBS program shares 
the expectation of aggressively moving people from welfare to work. All 
three also emphasize aggressive child support collection, employment 
supports such as child-care subsidies, and can require teen parents to 
live in safe, supervised settings. I am pleased that the Republicans' 
Medicaid reform plan, which I strongly opposed in the Commerce 
Committee, has been dropped from this bill.
  These bills, as well as the one being debated in the Senate, contain 
language that enables States with waivers to continue their existing 
welfare programs. In addition, the legislation states that if new 
requirements are put into law, they will not apply to States with 
waivers. In order for Oregon to make the strides that we are committed 
to, it is essential that this language be maintained and that it 
include States whose waivers were approved by September 30 of this 
year. I will work with Members in the other body to make sure this 
provision remains in the conference report on the bill.
  Oregon is a national leader in welfare reform. I support reforming 
our welfare system and am committed to moving the process forward. I 
call on other States to match Oregon's achievements in sensible, humane 
welfare reform.

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