[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 109 (Tuesday, July 23, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H8106]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   GROWTH RATE OF WELFARE SPENDING ASTRONOMICALLY OUTPACED GROWTH IN 
                               POPULATION

  (Mr. HEFLEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Speaker, since 1950 the population of the United 
States has increased from 151 million to roughly 260 million. This 
works out to a 72-percent increase.
  Also, since 1950, social welfare spending at all levels of Government 
has increased from $18.8 billion a year to $324 billion a year. This is 
an increase of 1,623 percent.
  In other words, the growth rate of welfare spending has 
astronomically outpaced the growth in population. Many liberals would 
argue that this probably is a good thing. But my question is this: What 
have we purchased with this huge investment in social welfare?
  Broken families; a destroyed work ethic; rampant illegitimacy; and 
continued poverty. Not only is the modern welfare state economically 
unsound, it is spiritually and morally unsound.
  We are doing our part to enact serious reform of welfare. It is time 
for Bill Clinton to show leadership, to keep his promises to end 
welfare as we know it.

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