[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 115 (Wednesday, July 31, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H9380]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           REFORM WELFARE NOW

  (Mr. CHABOT asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, in 1992, Bill Clinton portrayed himself as a 
new Democrat. One of the things that was supposed to set him apart from 
the old Democrats was the belief shared by many people of goodwill that 
the welfare system was a mess, that it was broken and needed to be 
fixed.
  After two vetoes, we are now told that Bill Clinton may finally be 
prepared to sign a welfare reform package. If that is true, it is a 
very positive development. America needs, no, Americans demand serious, 
genuine welfare reform, and I frankly do not care who gets the credit. 
I do not care if it is the Republican Party or the new Democrats or the 
old Democrats or the blue dogs or the yellow dogs or the man on the 
moon. That part of it does not matter and does not change the fact that 
we desperately need to change welfare so that it honors family and it 
honors work. Mr. Speaker, reforming welfare is the right thing to do, 
it is the commonsense thing to do, and I say let us get it done now, no 
matter who gets credit for it.

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