[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 122 (Monday, September 9, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10075-S10076]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. NICKLES:
  S. 2060. A bill to require the District of Columbia to comply with 
the 5-year time limit for welfare recipients, to prohibit any future 
waiver of such limit, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
Finance.


                          Welfare Legislation

  Mr. NICKLES. Mr. President, today, I am introducing legislation that 
would reverse President Clinton's recent District of Columbia welfare 
waiver which exempts the District of Columbia from the 5-year time 
limit for 10 years. It may shock our colleagues. President Clinton 
signed the welfare reform bill with a great deal of fanfare and said, 
``We have ended welfare as we know it.'' What most people don't know is 
on the day he signed it, he signed a 10-year waiver for the District of 
Columbia, so it does not apply. The waiver will apply for 10 years.
  I am just amazed that he had the audacity to do that. I am somewhat 
amazed that a lot of people in the press, and maybe we in Congress, 
have not said much about it.
  Think of that. The cornerstone of the welfare reform bill was a bill 
with real time limits. I am quoting President Clinton. President 
Clinton said, ``We need to have real welfare reform, we need to end 
welfare as we know it, we need a bill with real teeth, a bill that has 
real time limits.'' What does he do on the same day? He signs the 
welfare bill. He gives a 10-year waiver, a 10-year exemption to the 
District of Columbia.
  It is interesting to note, he was able to grant the waiver within 14 
days to the District of Columbia. He has had over 103 days to grant the 
waiver that was requested by the State of Wisconsin, which he mentioned 
in a political address on one of his Saturday morning addresses. He 
said, ``We need welfare reform like the State of Wisconsin. They have 
real workfare. They have time limits. We need to do it.''

[[Page S10076]]

  It is interesting to note he has not granted that waiver yet. Maybe 
he made a speech and got some points for it, but the fact is, by his 
granting the DC waiver, maybe he is trying to placate some liberal 
people who did not like him signing the welfare reform bill. I do not 
know. But today, I am introducing legislation to reverse the 10-year 
exemption, or welfare waiver, that he granted to the District of 
Columbia.
  It basically says that any other waiver that would come forward must 
comply with the 5-year time limit on cash benefits that passed by an 
overwhelming majority in both the House and the Senate.
  Mr. President, I send that to the desk, and ask unanimous consent 
that the text of the bill be printed in the Record. It is my hope and 
it is my plan to pass this legislation before we go out of session this 
year.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 2060

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. REQUIREMENT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA TO COMPLY 
                   WITH 5-YEAR TIME LIMIT FOR WELFARE ASSISTANCE.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 10 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human 
     Services (in this Act referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall 
     rescind approval of the waiver described in subsection (b). 
     Upon such rescission, the Secretary shall immediately approve 
     such waiver in accordance with subsection (c).
       (b) Waiver Described.--The waiver described in this 
     subsection is the approval by the Secretary on August 19, 
     1996, of the District of Columbia's Welfare Reform 
     Demonstration Special Application for waivers, which was 
     submitted under section 1115 of the Social Security Act, and 
     entitled the District of Columbia's Project on Work, 
     Employment, and Responsibility (POWER).
       (c) Condition for Waiver Approval.--The Secretary of Health 
     and Human Services shall not approve any part of the waiver 
     described in subsection (b) that relates to a waiver of the 
     requirement under section 408(a)(7) of the Social Security 
     Act to not use any part of the grant made under section 403 
     of such Act to provide assistance to a family that includes 
     an adult who has received assistance under any State program 
     funded under part A of title IV of such Act attributable to 
     funds provided by the Federal Government for 60 months 
     (whether or not consecutive).

     SEC. 2. NO WAIVER OF 5-YEAR TIME LIMIT FOR WELFARE 
                   ASSISTANCE.

       Beginning on and after the date of the enactment of this 
     Act, the Secretary shall not approve any application 
     submitted under section 1115 of the Social Security Act, or 
     under any other provision of law, for a waiver of the 
     requirement under section 408(a)(7) of such Act to not use 
     any part of the grant made under section 403 of such Act to 
     provide assistance to a family that includes an adult who has 
     received assistance under any State program funded under part 
     A of title IV of such Act attributable to funds provided by 
     the Federal Government for 60 months (whether or not 
     consecutive).

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