[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 115 (Wednesday, July 31, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H9381-H9382]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        THE WELFARE REFORM BILL

  (Mr. DUNCAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, last night, each Member had the August 12 
issue of the New Republic delivered to our offices.
  As everyone knows, the New Republic is a very liberal magazine.
  Yet this magazine had a lead editorial entitled ``Sign It,'' urging 
the President to sign the welfare reform bill.
  The President earlier vetoed a welfare reform bill that passed the 
Senate 87 to 12.
  The current bill passed the Senate 74 to 24 and passed by a very 
large margin in this House.
  The New Republic says this bill ``will, finally, start the process by 
which America's underclass problem can be solved.''
  The editors said the block grant structure of this bill ``is likely 
to point the way to ending the `culture of poverty.'''
  This is a really significant endorsement, Mr. Speaker.

[[Page H9382]]

  The New Republic ended its editorial with these words:

       The continuing agony of the underclass is destroying our 
     cities, our race relations, our sense of civility, our faith 
     in the possibilities of government. It's worth taking some 
     risks to end it.

  I urge the President to sign the welfare reform bill.

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