[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 109 (Tuesday, July 23, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H8108]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       REPUBLICANS WANT COMMONSENSE REFORM OF THE WELFARE SYSTEM

  (Mrs. SEASTRAND asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. SEASTRAND. Mr. Speaker, most people probably think that welfare 
is temporary, that people are on it for a few months and then move on 
to a job. This is not the case. The average stay on welfare is 13 
years.
  Mr. Speaker, that is plainly unacceptable. When we place people on 
welfare for year after year after year, you are not helping them you 
are hurting them. If a person is healthy and is able to work, they 
should work, period. It is reprehensible that our Government has 
devised a welfare system that pays people not to work.
  Republicans have made it very clear that we want serious, commonsense 
reform of the welfare system. We want to emphasize work, we want to 
restore power to the States, and we want to encourage personal 
responsibility. President Bill Clinton says he wants the very same 
things.
  I hope the President joins us in reforming welfare so that it does 
not become a way of life and people are not trapped on it for 13 years.

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