[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 35 (Tuesday, March 18, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E493]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               H.R. 1045

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. PATSY T. MINK

                               of hawaii

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 18, 1997

  Mrs. MINK of Hawaii. Mr. Speaker, I have introduced H.R. 1045 to 
require that any unpaid work required of welfare recipients as a 
condition of receiving benefits be credited with wages for the purposes 
of calculating the Earned Income Tax Credit [EITC] and the Dependent 
Care Tax Credit.
  Under H.R. 1045, the hours worked without direct compensation will be 
credited as though minimum wage were paid.
  It is extremely unfair to require work and then not pay any wages and 
credit nothing toward Social Security, unemployment compensation, and 
other wage-based benefits programs. And this is exactly what is allowed 
under the new welfare reform law. States will be able to enact workfare 
programs in which welfare recipients are forced to work off their 
welfare benefit, rather than receiving real wages.
  Under H.R. 1045, unpaid work required to remain eligible for cash 
assistance will be translated into real wages for the purpose of 
claiming earned income tax credits.
  If work is a virtue, then all work should be treated the same.
  I urge my colleagues to support my bill, H.R. 1045.

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