[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 62 (Wednesday, May 15, 2002)]
[House]
[Page H2479]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  NECESSARY CHANGES FOR WELFARE REFORM

  (Mr. CARDIN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. Speaker, I have been listening to my friends on the 
other side talk about the debate we are going to be having today on 
welfare reform. Unfortunately, the rule that the Committee on Rules is 
recommending will not let us have a full debate, will not let us bring 
up amendments to a bill that is extremely important to our States, in 
not only getting people off of cash assistance welfare, but getting 
people real jobs.
  Mr. Speaker, my concern is that if we look at the Republican bill 
that we will be debating later, it moves backwards. If welfare has been 
such a success, why are we imposing new restrictions on our States? Why 
are we telling our States that they cannot provide education and 
training to the people that are on welfare today? Why is education 
important for everyone in this country, except for people that happen 
to be on cash assistance and on welfare?
  Mr. Speaker, we will have a debate on welfare today, and I hope that 
we will be able to make some changes in the bill that comes forward so 
that we all can agree that the next chapter of welfare reform should be 
getting people out of poverty.

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