[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 119 (Thursday, September 19, 2002)]
[House]
[Pages H6386-H6393]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1230

  There was a bipartisan effort within the Finance Committee, very 
contrasting with the partisan approach that you took.
  So now you are saying it is the Senate's fault when the basic fault 
was the failure to do this in the right way in the first place right 
here. It was inexcusable for you and for the chairman not to sit down 
with Democrats, surely those who had worked on welfare reform, who had 
helped to build child care and day care into it and see if we could 
find common ground. So you have no common ground in the first place. 
The vote was 229-197 here. Inexcusable. What do you expect now?
  Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds.
  The gentleman's recollection of the process of our subcommittee is, 
in my mind, completely faulty. Remember, one of the primary goals of 
the other party's approach, the Democrats' approach on that 
subcommittee, was to include as a major goal of the new welfare reform 
bill to reduce poverty and, indeed, we did that. Second, They were very 
interested in more education and training and we do that.
  So it was a very good bill. It got through the House with a 
bipartisan vote. The Senate has not acted. We need to go to conference 
to get this bill to the President's desk.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from North Carolina 
(Mr. Hayes).
  Mr. HAYES. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time.
  Mr. Speaker, I admire and respect the gentleman from Maryland. I 
appreciate his point of view, but I have the opposite point of view. We 
have been working very hard. When welfare reform first came up, there 
was complete and total resistance on the other side of the aisle. We 
have gotten together and we have passed a good bill in the House on a 
bipartisan basis. I would love to have had more votes. That would have 
been wonderful. But the clear, pure fact remains, article 1, section 7, 
clause 2 of the Constitution simply requires that the House and the 
Senate have to pass legislation before it can be signed by the 
President and become law. The House has done their portion. The 
remainder is clear. We need compliance with the Constitution. That is 
what this debate is about. It is very meaningful.
  It is very clear that 60-plus pieces of legislation have been passed 
under article 1, section 7, clause 2 by the House of Representatives. 
Those pieces of important legislation lie dormant. I thank the 
gentlewoman for bringing this to the House and I encourage that we 
support and pass this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, 6 years ago, despite an outcry of criticism, the U.S. 
Congress passed the most sweeping welfare reform measures ever. Now, 6 
years later, no one can argue that this reform has been an overwhelming 
success. We have worked to end a cycle of dependence and replaced it 
with a spirit of self-sufficiency. These welfare-to-work success 
stories are proof positive of what I have always said--a government 
support check, while helpful, is no substitute for a paycheck.
  On May 16 of this year, this House passed comprehensive welfare 
reform, the President

[[Page H6387]]

is asking for reform, the American people deserve reform and the Senate 
has not taken up this important legislation. Now is not the time to 
turn our backs on these successful reforms. We have replaced a cycle of 
government dependency with families that are proud of the work that 
they do and that are no longer dependent on a government check. That's 
the right thing to do to strengthen families, and we need to keep that 
record of success going.
  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds to respond to the 
gentlewoman from Connecticut. Current law allows the States to use 
education and training as part of the core work requirement in welfare. 
States have used that well and it has worked well. The bill that passed 
this body takes away that flexibility from the States. That is why the 
Governors are upset. That is why legislators are upset. That is why 
administrators are upset. And that is why people are upset. You take 
away the flexibility of the States on education and training for women 
trying to get off the welfare system.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky).
  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. I thank the gentleman for yielding time.
  Mr. Speaker, there are 4 scheduled legislative days remaining until 
the end of this fiscal year. Four days remaining. There are people 
watching the proceedings here in the gallery and all around the country 
who may be thinking that what they are watching is the House of 
Representatives at work, carrying on the business of the people. No, 
unfortunately they are wrong. We are sitting here chatting about a 
resolution to express the sense of the House that Congress should 
complete action on the welfare bill. We are not talking about 
completing action on anything right now with 4 scheduled legislative 
days remaining.
  We now have eight, count them, eight appropriations bills that have 
not been passed, with 4 days remaining. We could be working on that 
legislation right now. So it is really quite amazing that the 
Republican leadership would squander its opportunity to make real 
progress on a legislative agenda, real progress on addressing the 
problems and concerns of the American people by taking up issues that 
are completely under their control right now.
  The Democrats, given our minority position, have limited ability to 
control the agenda, so we have a discharge petition right now to take 
up a piece of real legislation that would reduce the cost of 
prescription drugs, H.R. 5272. This is a bill that would stop the 
gaming of the system and would allow real competition so that we could 
find lower prices for prescription drugs in this country. This is 
something that people really care about. Let us do something real and 
stop this chitchat.
  Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as 
I may consume.
  I would remind the preceding speaker that the Senate has not acted on 
welfare reform and the Senate has not acted on prescription drugs. The 
House has reauthorized welfare reform and the House has passed a very 
strong bill providing prescription drugs to seniors as an entitlement. 
It is very disturbing that 12 days before this bill expires, before the 
welfare reform bill that has reduced poverty among children more 
dramatically than any change in public policy in my lifetime, that it 
could languish unauthorized. The House has acted. The Senate has not. 
The fact is there are 12 days and that this Congress cannot complete 
work on welfare reform alone.
  Mr. Speaker, welfare reform has helped women and children in America. 
It has been a good thing in their lives. We need it. For the preceding 
speaker to have said that we have cut work education and training is 
simply wrong. It is true we do not allow 12 months of vocational 
education, but for the first time we not only allow 4 months of any 
kind of education, whether it is vocational or not, but then 2 full 
days for 5 years. So we allow ongoing education which not only can help 
you prepare yourself for a job but through which then you can develop 
the skills to advance your career and move up the salary and career 
ladder. It is the most generous inclusion of education and training and 
opportunities in welfare reform that we have ever passed.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
DeLay), the majority whip.
  Mr. DeLAY. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time.
  Mr. Speaker, it looks like we are prepared to vote on a resolution 
that lays out exactly why the country needs and expects to see the 5-
year reauthorization of welfare reform law finished sooner rather than 
later.
  Remember, we only have 7 days remaining before the historic reforms 
will expire on September 30. There are two things we ought to bear in 
mind. First, the main reason welfare reform needs to be reauthorized 
and, second, what it takes to get the job done. Welfare reform has been 
good for America. It is replacing welfare checks with paychecks. It is 
fostering independence. It is boosting personal incomes. And it is 
truly improving the lives of millions of children.
  We have to reauthorize welfare reform because there is more to be 
done to help millions of struggling families develop dignity and self-
respect. We have been working on reauthorization since January. In 
February we built the HOPE Action Team. We pulled together committee 
and subcommittee chairs, administration officials and other Members of 
Congress. We held weekly meetings to drive both the timetable and the 
policies to ensure timely passage. We met twice a week. We worked late 
into the night. We stayed at the table to hammer out our differences so 
that we could put up a good bill here on this floor. It was a lot of 
work for a lot of people.
  At the same time, I urged our Members to learn more about welfare 
reform by visiting former welfare offices that are now job placement 
centers. I urged our Members to meet with folks that are involved in 
the system. Many of us did sit down with both folks who are still on 
welfare and people who have left welfare for the world of work. We 
wanted their perspective on the changes that we made 6 years ago and 
the improvements that still needed to be made. We learned a lot.
  Back in April, I visited the Texas Workforce Center in Houston. A man 
told me that welfare reform had changed his life and the changes he 
made offered his children a powerful lesson in doing things the right 
way. He said, ``They saw me getting up with them each morning,'' 
because it was time to go get a job. ``I could see in their eyes that 
they were happy about that.'' I think that is what it is all about.
  In closing, I would like to remind the Congress that it takes work to 
pass a good bill. It takes time and effort to bring everyone together. 
It takes time to get a bill out of committee. And when you are dealing 
with several committees of jurisdiction, it takes even more work. 
Securing final passage of the bill is an even tougher assignment. But 
the House completed its work. We put in the time and we got the job 
done for the American people. Our work in the House will pay off for 
the American people, but it will all be for nothing unless and until 
Congress finishes welfare reauthorization.
  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, normally as the ranking member of the subcommittee that 
has jurisdiction over welfare, I would make a recommendation to my 
colleagues as to how they should vote on legislation affecting welfare 
and TANF reauthorization. I do not really have a recommendation to my 
colleagues on this resolution because I do not think it does anything. 
I really do think we are wasting time today.
  I would like to see TANF reauthorization done this year. We should 
get it done. It is extremely important. The gentlewoman is right. We 
need to reauthorize the program. But I have a recommendation to the 
Republican leadership. Use this time to pass the appropriation bills we 
have not passed yet. We have not even taken up appropriation bills for 
the first time here. We normally spend a day or two on the important 
appropriation bills. With 4 legislative days left, you are not going to 
schedule them, are you? But, instead, you are going to schedule a 
resolution that does nothing. We should be talking about what we are 
going to do with seniors on prescription medicines within the Medicare 
system, not rely upon private insurance which has already left my 
constituents in Maryland. But, no, instead we have a resolution before 
us that really does nothing.
  I have heard some of my Republican colleagues say that the other body 
has

[[Page H6388]]

not done anything. I know we are not supposed to characterize, you are 
using that as a fact, and you are wrong. The relevant committee in the 
other body has in fact brought out a bipartisan bill. We should embrace 
it. But instead, no, our Republican friends in this body are still 
hanging on to what we did earlier that has no chance of being enacted. 
We do need to talk and work out a bipartisan bill. But that is not what 
is happening here today.
  Let me just, if I might, quote from some traditionally Republican 
sources. A Republican State legislator speaking on behalf of the 
National Conference of State Legislatures talking about H.R. 4737 said, 
``What troubles State legislators is not that the House bill focused on 
work but that it will to force States to establish community work 
programs at the expense of those who have left or never been on the 
rolls.''
  Business groups have testified before our committee, ``Under these 
requirements, many States would have to reduce or abandon their current 
efforts to place welfare recipients in jobs and prepare them for 
employment in favor of workfare programs that generate `work' hours, 
however unproductive.''
  Yes, Mr. Speaker, I agree that we need to reauthorize TANF in the 
107th Congress. The only way that can be done to help our States is if 
it is done in a bipartisan way.

                              {time}  1245

  Unfortunately, the majority, the Republicans, have refused to include 
the Democrats in this process. They have refused to really follow the 
recommendations of our States, the people who manage our welfare 
system. As a result, we are now faced with a situation where the other 
body in fact has acted in a responsible, bipartisan way, and still we 
pretend that we cannot get together. We are going to play hard ball, to 
the effect that nothing is going to get done. Well, I regret that, 
because a lot is at stake, the people in this Nation who depend upon 
these programs to take care of their children, to prepare themselves 
for work.
  Yes, we should be moving people out of poverty in this Nation; we 
should be building upon the successes. I supported welfare reform 5 
years ago. I support reauthorization of welfare this year. It is an 
important program, and we need to get it done.
  I urge my colleagues to vote any way that they want to on this 
resolution, because I do not think it will do anything. It does express 
some sentiments that are important, and I think some of our colleagues 
on both sides of the aisle may feel that way. But I know I am 
expressing the majority sentiment when I wish this time would have been 
used to bring forward the appropriations bills so we could have our 
debate on issues we have not acted upon in this body.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. LaTourette). Before recognizing the 
gentlewoman from Connecticut, there has been some discussion at the 
dais about potentially the gentlewoman using her time at the conclusion 
of the Committee on Education and Workforce time. The gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Cardin) still had 30 seconds remaining at this time.
  Is the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Mrs. Johnson) inclined to close 
out her portion of the debate now or reserve it to the conclusion of 
the Committee on Education and Workforce debate?
  Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I yield my remaining 30 
seconds to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner) to control.
  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield my remaining 30 seconds to the 
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Tierney), who is managing the time 
for the Committee on Education and the Workforce.


                announcement by the speaker pro tempore

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair would note that terms like 
``bipartisan'' and ``responsible'' are just as much characterizations 
as ``irresponsible'' and ``partisan,'' and are inappropriate references 
to the Senate.
  It is now in order during the course of the resolution to consume the 
time allotted to the Committee on Education and the Workforce. The 
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner) will be recognized for 15\1/2\ 
minutes and the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Tierney) will be 
recognized for 15\1/2\ minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner).
  Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, in May, my colleagues and I passed important legislation 
to reauthorize the 1996 welfare reform law, one of the most successful 
social policies ever enacted by Congress. It has transformed the lives 
of millions of families and helped them achieve self-sufficiency. The 
1996 welfare law has done its job, and now it is Congress' job and 
unique opportunity to improve upon that 1996 act.
  The key reason why many former welfare recipients are leading 
independent lives today is clear: we require individuals to work for 
their benefits. Under the old system, welfare families could expect a 
lifetime of cash assistance without engaging in constructive activities 
of any kind.
  When Republicans gained control in 1994 of this Congress, we vowed to 
change our Nation's welfare system. It took awhile. The debate was 
spirited. But by 1996, after vetoing the bill twice, a reluctant 
President Clinton finally signed the landmark Personal Responsibility 
and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act into law.
  The success of those reforms has been extraordinary. Welfare 
caseloads have fallen over 50 percent, nearly 3 million children have 
escaped poverty, and the black child poverty rate is now at its lowest 
point ever.
  Between 1996 and 1999, overall spending on cash assistance in my home 
State of Ohio declined by $19 million a month, enabling the State to 
increase funding for job training, child care, literacy and 
transportation programs that further assist families in moving toward 
self-sufficiency.
  The legislation the Committee on Education and the Workforce 
committee passed in early May builds on that success. Based on 
President Bush's reform blueprint and introduced by my friend and 
colleague, the gentleman from California (Chairman McKeon), the Working 
Toward Independence Act strengthens the work requirements in current 
law, which will ensure that even more welfare families are able to move 
into productive lives. This measure was incorporated into the 
comprehensive welfare reform bill that passed the House in May.
  The bill increases child care funding by over $2 billion and places 
an increased emphasis on improving the quality of care for our young 
children. With welfare caseloads cut in half since the welfare reform 
law was enacted, States will be able to devote significantly more money 
to expand access to quality child care.
  We know that State and local leaders have been on the front lines of 
welfare reform. The flexibility in the 1996 law is one of the reasons 
it has worked so well. That is why this bill would give States and 
localities even more flexibility. With broadened waiver authority, they 
will be able to continue the kind of innovation that has proven so 
successful over the last 5 years.
  Welfare reform is a top priority for this Congress. President Bush 
deserves a chance to sign this important piece of legislation into law 
this year. For the good of millions of Americans moving from welfare to 
work, this reauthorization must be completed by the conclusion of the 
107th Congress. I urge my colleagues to approve the resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TIERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, many would take issue with some of the broad terminology 
in the so-called ``whereas clauses'' in this resolution, but I do not 
really think that is quite the issue here. I do not think there are too 
many who would argue with the desire, mutually felt by everyone in this 
Chamber, and I assume in the other Chamber, for completion of the 
conference's work.
  The real fact of the matter is it seems a little disingenuous to be 
standing here talking about a rather meaningless resolution, as we have 
here today, filling up time that could be used to get the business of 
the House done. I would think that the Republican majority should be 
more than a little bit embarrassed that this is the best that they can 
do at this particular time of the year.

[[Page H6389]]

  We have, what, eight more spending bills to finish before this year 
that apparently the leadership on the other side cannot muster and move 
the agenda on, so we sit here talking about a resolution that everybody 
is well intentioned to get the conferees' work done. You can say that 
in about one-half a minute.
  But we will be out of here in a little while today. We are not 
staying to complete the work of the House. We were out of here 
yesterday by about 3:00 or 3:30. We did not come in Monday. We are not 
going to be here Friday. We are not coming in next Monday. So you talk 
about the time left to pass this particular bill out of the other 
House. Well, perhaps it is better than spending all of our time 
instructing the other House how to do their business, we could talk 
about how this House might do its business.
  After all, we could do a lot that would change people's lives better 
for their welfare. We could bring forward the health and human services 
and education bill. Would that not be a marvelous factor. If we want to 
talk about things that would help people's lives and really matter, we 
could bring up that bill.
  But the problem is that the majority knows that their budget of last 
year does not allow for that. This administration put out a budget and 
went around the country with my colleague from Ohio as part of the 
group doing a real ceremonious occasion talking about the Leave No 
Child Behind Act.
  Well, the fact of the matter is their budget leaves many children 
behind, because if they brought up the education spending bill, on that 
budget they would be about $7 billion short. We have November 5 coming 
up; and between now and November 5, there are not too many people on 
the other side of the aisle who want to make it clear to the American 
people that they are coming up short on their promises.
  So instead of bringing forward the spending bills before the end of 
the fiscal year and before November 5, we are sitting here banging back 
and forth on a resolution that has no import and no meaning except for 
great intentions, which we all share.
  We could do a lot for people. We could do something about education; 
we could do something about Head Start. People that are on welfare and 
people that are not on welfare need to have their children get an 
education and get a start in school and be ready for school at an early 
age. We could bring forward bills that would allow us to put more 
resources into that program, which has proven to be successful.
  We could do more for child care. Certainly the welfare bill that 
passed the House does not do enough. That is one of the reasons I 
perceive why it is a bit tied up on the other side, because people want 
to try to reach some nonpartisan or bipartisan resolve as to how that 
bill might improve its education piece and its job training piece and 
in fact its child care piece.
  But this is a very partisan group that we see bringing forward 
things, and that is why the House bill does not do it, and that is why 
there is difficulty getting it done in the other body.
  Mr. Speaker, we can bring forward matters that talk about school 
programs and after-school programs that would help many families in 
this country. But the House does not do that. They are busy talking 
about this inane legislation before us now.
  Mr. Speaker, last year when the House passed its budget, it was the 
administration's budget, and they had a $1.7 trillion tax cut, there 
were many like myself and others who argued that that tax cut was way 
too big and it did not distribute any tax breaks fairly across a broad 
spectrum.
  But whatever that debate is, that debate is by the board. Things have 
happened since then: September 11, a change in the economy, many more 
reasons to spend. The CBO, the Congressional Budget Office, is telling 
us that that tax cut is probably responsible for almost half of the 
decline in our surplus. We are no longer in a surplus; we are going 
into a deficit for some unforeseeable future period of time.
  All of these things have changed, and what we need to do as the 
House, Mr. Speaker, is come back and revisit that budget. I understand 
why the other side is embarrassed to come forward and tell the American 
public they cannot deal with the health and human services and 
education spending bill because their budget would be $7 billion short.
  So let us deal with that. Let us have a conference and sit down in a 
bipartisan or nonpartisan way and try to work through that to find out 
how we can help American families, how we can provide for public 
schools, where 90 percent of our children go, and give them the kind of 
investments they need and not leave them $7 billion short of the 
President's promise.
  Let us talk about what we can do for Head Start and Early Head Start 
and child care programs so the people can get to work. Let us talk 
about job training programs that this administration intends to cut and 
talk about filling them properly when people are in fact being 
unemployed at higher rates than was anticipated, and let us talk about 
doing something for those in terms of unemployment compensation, and 
healthcare for those unemployed, matters which, for some reason, are 
not being brought up in front of this House now with the small amount 
of remaining time that we have.
  There are many, many things that we could do that would better fill 
our time than taking up a resolution that is going to have no impact 
and has no business telling the other side on this Hill what to be 
doing.
  So, Mr. Speaker, with that in mind, I would just say that I am going 
to reserve the balance of my time and let some other speakers go, but I 
think this time could be much better spent doing the real business of 
this House.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the 
sponsor of this resolution, the gentlewoman from Kentucky (Mrs. 
Northup).
  Mrs. NORTHUP. Mr. Speaker, it is instructive to note that sometimes 
it is important to stay focused and that when the House passes repeated 
resolutions, sometimes that helps us get focused and get a bill to the 
President's desk. I would point to the stimulus bill that finally, 
after the House passed a stimulus bill four times, actually got to the 
President's desk and helped keep Americans on the job and stimulate our 
economy.
  So today we are here to talk about staying focused on welfare reform 
and to advance it the next step. We all know that in 12 days the 
welfare reform authorization bill will run out, and families all around 
this country deserve to know what the program will be in the coming 
years if it affects their families, and States need to know that too 
for their budgets.
  The fact is in our country freedom and opportunity depend on being 
able to get on the first rung of the ladder and begin a climb up that 
rung of the ladder, out of poverty into independence. The only way that 
is possible is to have a job and to build your skills and build on that 
job and begin to grow into independence. Our welfare reform bill helps 
families do that.
  I want to mention the way that I think it is most important, and that 
is the increase in child care. As I move around my community and talk 
to families, talk to people that are part of the support system, talk 
to people that are running the day-care centers in the most 
disadvantaged neighborhoods, what I hear over and over is that more 
dollars are needed for child care.

                              {time}  1300

  Many families and many moms, as they expand their work opportunities, 
need to know that their children are in a good, safe childcare 
facility. They need to have that reassurance that their children are 
well cared for and that they can afford the childcare.
  So we help families that are in this transition period going from 
dependence and government control of their life to independence, 
opportunity, having choices they have never had before, by making sure 
the resources they need to make that transition are there.
  I am thankful that the House has passed the bill, and I want to thank 
the committees for passing this resolution. It will help us stay 
focused and make sure that we get this to the President's desk.
  Mr. TIERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I just wonder how many times Members of 
this side of the aisle are going to have to be bringing up issues like 
education

[[Page H6390]]

and money for prescription drugs to get the other side focused on the 
business of this House, and not the other body, so that they can be 
addressed.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Minnesota 
(Ms. McCollum).
  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong unity with my colleagues 
in urging passage of the welfare reauthorization bill some time this 
year. We do have a responsibility to provide meaningful job training, 
job training that will work with our community colleges, our vocational 
schools; work that fits into training programs that are not eligible 
under the House bill. We need to get families back to work. We need to 
provide quality child care that will allow our children to grow up in a 
safe and nurturing environment.
  The House bill fails to do that. In Minnesota right now, I have 
waiting lists. I have waiting lists with thousands of children. The 
House welfare reform bill will increase, increase in Minnesota the 
number of children on the waiting list.
  I have heard from my county, I have heard from the State of 
Minnesota, I have heard from welfare reform recipients. Child care is 
critical, child care is needed, and child care is lacking in the House 
bill.
  Passing welfare reform during this Congress is not the only 
responsibility we must take. Families and seniors and all Americans are 
deeply concerned about skyrocketing health costs. Today's health care 
spending continues to consume too large a portion of all families' 
incomes and causes too many children to live in poverty. And, 
oftentimes, it is the reason why families end up in welfare.
  The average price paid for brand name prescription drugs is often 
three times, three times the same medicine in generic form. The 
residents in Minnesota's 4th District should not have to pay 
significantly more for the same medicine simply because it has a brand 
name attached to it.
  These are lifesaving medicines. We are dealing with lifesaving 
medicines, not designer jeans. Now is the time to close the loophole 
that allows some drug companies to continue their stranglehold on the 
market. We have arrived at a point where people throughout this country 
are literally breaking their prescription pills in two, scrimping and 
saving every dime to pay for their lifesaving medication. We cannot 
allow this to continue.
  We have an historic opportunity to pass legislation that restores 
fair competition and stops the continued rise in drug prices. This 
legislation has already passed the other body and we must act now. We 
cannot continue to keep affordable drugs out of the reach of people who 
need them the most. To do that would be unconscionable. To do that puts 
families in poverty. To do that can indirectly add to our welfare 
rolls.
  Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the 
gentleman from California (Mr. McKeon), the chairman of the 
Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness.
  Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me this 
time, and I rise in strong support of House Resolution 525.
  In May, the House of Representatives passed a welfare reform bill 
that builds on the success of the 1996 law which has been nothing short 
of remarkable and has hushed the naysayers who said requiring welfare 
recipients to work for benefits would further bind poor families to a 
life of poverty. But the Senate has not acted on welfare legislation.
  In May, the House passed a welfare reform bill that will continue to 
dismantle the shackles of welfare that chain millions of American 
families to a life of poverty. Yet, the Senate has not acted on welfare 
legislation.
  In May, the House passed a welfare reform bill that includes 
significant funding increases for child care, boosting discretionary 
funding for the Child Care Development and Block Grant to $1 billion 
over 5 years. Still, the Senate has not acted on welfare legislation.
  The simple truth is that welfare reform based on work helped to lift 
3 million children out of poverty. Employment of single mothers is at 
an all-time high at more than 70 percent, and 700,000 fewer single 
mothers are living in poverty today than in the 1990s.
  The bill passed by the House in May provides for 16 hours per week of 
education, training, and other constructive activities as defined by 
the State. The education opportunities, balanced with the 24-hour per 
week work requirements, are more than sufficient to help welfare 
recipients find fulfilling work that will help lead them and keep them 
out of a life of poverty.
  In my district in southern California, over the course of 5 years, 
going to school part-time, 16 hours a week, a student can earn an 
associate's degree and, in some cases, a bachelor's degree. With an 
associate's degree, a student can begin a fulfilling career at a number 
of well-paying jobs. The average annual salary of a mechanic in my 
State is $31,250; a registered nurse, $56,140; computer specialist, 
$45,380. Associates' degrees are offered in each of these professions.
  Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this resolution and I believe that 
the House welfare reform passed by the House achieves the balance 
between the work requirements and additional education and training 
which will help pull millions of families from poverty.
  Mr. TIERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman 
from California (Ms. Woolsey), a member of the Committee on Education 
and the Workforce.
  (Ms. WOOLSEY asked and was given permission to revise and extend her 
remarks.)
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, the end of September is approaching. The 
House has passed only 5 of 13 appropriations bills, and yet here we are 
taking precious time to debate a meaningless resolution urging the 
Senate to pass a welfare reform bill. Do I want the Senate to pass a 
welfare reform bill? Of course I do. I want them to pass a good welfare 
reform bill, a bill that gives welfare recipients access to the 
education and training they need to get jobs that pay a livable wage; a 
welfare bill that ensures that there will be safe and affordable child 
care for children while their moms are away from home, and a welfare 
bill that holds States accountable for helping families move towards 
self-sufficiency.
  Rather than taking time here on the House Floor to debate the 
Senate's schedule, I urge the House leadership to attend to the 
important business of the House, such as the generic drug bill that has 
already passed the Senate. If the leadership here in the House really 
wants to do something to help families, passing the Greater Access to 
Affordable Pharmaceuticals Act, the GAAP Act, would do the trick.
  In the year 2001, for the fourth year in a row, Americans increased 
their spending on prescription drugs by more than 17 percent, and it is 
known that the longer a big drug company can keep a generic drug off 
the market, the more it costs consumers. The GAAP Act would get generic 
drugs to the market faster, helping American families save money. In 
fact, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that the GAAP Act would 
save consumers over $60 billion over the next 10 years; $60 billion.
  So let us help all families, both those on welfare and those who are 
not. Let us stop wasting precious floor time on the business of the 
Senate and instead get on with the legitimate business of the House, 
such as passing the rest of the appropriations bills and the important 
bills that are before us like the GAAP Act.
  Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the 
gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert).
  Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me this 
time.
  I rise in strong support of House Resolution 525. This resolution 
keeps our commitment to America's kids and to America's great promise 
of welfare reform. Our welfare reform bill adds an additional $2 
billion in extra funding for childcare and developmental block grants. 
This makes a very good bill become even better with more child care. 
Why is that? Well, more funding means more kids covered. More kids 
covered means more parents working, and that is our ultimate objective, 
to give every American the opportunity to work and to gain the dignity 
and self respect that comes with providing for your own family.
  The past 6 years of welfare reform have shown us what works and what 
does not work. When I meet with former welfare recipients throughout my 
congressional district, each and every one of them tells me that their

[[Page H6391]]

success simply would not have been possible without childcare 
assistance. The House has passed an outstanding bill that builds upon 
the welfare successes of the past 6 years. Let us get it to the 
President's desk and into law as quickly as possible.
  Mr. TIERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Isakson).
  Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me this 
time. I rise along with many others on this side and really both sides 
that have encouraged the passage of this resolution and our 
encouragement to see to it that we make the reauthorization of welfare 
reform and welfare to work a reality.
  While I have listened to some of the reasons to somewhat diminish any 
enthusiasm for this resolution, I thought to myself, facts are stubborn 
things. We have legitimate differences between bodies of the Congress 
and between individuals on the potential of war, on certain 
appropriations, certain legal questions, the Patients' Bill of Rights, 
and some are legitimate, some are political, some are not. But facts 
are stubborn things. Nobody disagrees that we have changed lives in 
America, this Congress did, for 3 million Americans. Nobody disagrees 
that there are 2 million more Americans out there who we can help. 
Nobody disagrees with that. Some may disagree with the degree of help, 
but no one disagrees that what many feared would put people on the 
streets has changed their lives. It would be sad and tragic for those 
among us that need the most help from this Congress to suffer because 
this Congress got in so many differences during meaningful debates 
where there were issues of differences that it forgot those who have 
been forgotten the most. We have a bill that improves child care, we 
have a bill that improves the flexibility on TANF. We have a bill that 
takes the stated goal of putting those 2 million Americans still on 
welfare and giving them meaningful training, meaningful child care, 
transportation and work and independence, and yet the clock is running.
  So I concur with the chairman and many Members on both sides that we 
urge those in this Congress to move forward and send welfare-to-work 
reauthorization to the President's desk for his signature to benefit 
those 2 million Americans.
  Mr. TIERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the 
gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson).
  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, this is a big day for me. 
It was just 9 months ago today that I had the privilege of being sworn 
in as one of the newest Members of Congress. It was right about this 
time of the day, and I am cherishing that memory at this time. I 
particularly appreciate that I had people who were helping me from the 
beginning, like the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner). And one of the 
very first things that I found out upon being elected was the 
extraordinary leadership in the House of Representatives. Also I want 
to thank the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Pryce) and the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. DeLay).
  As I was attending conference meetings, I found out that we would be 
having the ability to work on welfare reform reauthorization, and I was 
just so excited because I had the privilege and opportunity in the 
South Carolina State Senate to be the chairman of the conference 
committee for the Family Independence Act which was the State 
equivalent of welfare reform. It was just an exciting time. It was the 
first time, one of the first times that a Republican had the 
opportunity to serve as chairman of a conference committee.
  As we were working on welfare reform in South Carolina, we were told 
we were wasting time. We were told that it would not work. I was told 
that we need to have more hearings, and I offered. I said, well, fine, 
let us have a hearing every day. Let us meet every day until it passes.
  So it did pass in South Carolina, and it did pass here in Washington. 
It has been a phenomenal success, as my colleagues can see from this 
chart.

                              {time}  1315

  There has been since 1994 a reduction in the number of people on 
welfare by caseload from 14 million to 5 million. It has been one of 
the most extraordinary successes of social policy in the history of the 
United States.
  So I think it is very important. The House has passed this, and the 
Senate needs to bring it up. This is so important for the people to 
have the opportunity of independence.
  I have had the opportunity to visit the department of social services 
offices all over the district I represent, from Beaufort to Richmond 
and Lexington, from Hampton and Allendale. I have met the social 
workers who have made the program work, who have helped people get 
jobs. It has been exciting to see the number of people who now have 
opportunities that they did not have before.
  I am just really appalled that the Senate has not acted. I hope they 
will.


                Announcement by the Speaker pro tempore

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Simpson). Members are reminded to avoid 
improper references to the Senate.
  Mr. TIERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Mr. Speaker, my friend, the gentleman from Georgia, was talking about 
facts being stubborn. I think he is right, but the one stubborn fact 
that we cannot avoid here this afternoon is that this bill does 
nothing. It is a very stubborn fact that this is a resolution of the 
House attempting somehow to tell the other body when and how they 
should act. I think it is probably inappropriate to do that, but it is 
also a waste of our time and effort, because it is, obviously, going to 
go on its own schedule.
  Another fact that is very stubborn that will not go away is the fact 
that this is filler. We are standing here doing this on this resolution 
because the majority in this House will not go forward with the rest of 
the business that needs to get done before the end of this fiscal year: 
eight spending bills that they are failing to move forward.
  I know my colleague, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner), has done 
the work in his committee. The bill which is the subject matter of this 
particular resolution before us now was passed through his committee 
and passed through the House and is gone. But the stubborn fact of the 
matter is there are eight spending bills that have not gone through the 
appropriations process and gone through the House and been passed 
along. We could be dealing with that instead of talking about this 
resolution that is essentially meaningless.
  Another stubborn fact is we could be dealing in particular with the 
education spending bill, because American families want to know how we 
are going to improve their school and education system for their 
children.
  We could be talking about smaller classroom sizes.
  We could be talking about well-prepared teachers with good, 
professional development.
  We could be talking about after-school programs to help families deal 
with the situation that they are working and their children have a need 
for a place to go, and further structures to help them pass the rigid 
exams that are now given as part of the accountability aspect.
  All of these the President's budget underfunds, despite his high 
rhetoric on the Leave No Child Behind Act. In fact, it is all part of 
the $7 billion they are coming up short on their budget for their 
promises during that authorization bill.
  We could be talking about prescription drugs for our seniors and 
doing something about the price for all Americans; but apparently the 
majority does not have a way to get that matter before us, or chooses 
not to, because they will not be telling the story that the American 
people want to hear.
  We could be talking about small businesses, which their budget 
proposes to cut by billions of dollars, in fact taking away the very 
popular 7(a) loan program, which helps many businesses start up and 
expand and stay in business. There is a lot of rhetoric about how we 
all ought to support small business, but nothing coming forward in this 
House where we have the opportunity to do it.
  We could be talking about health for the unemployed, because the 
economy has turned around since this administration has taken over. It 
is going

[[Page H6392]]

straight downhill. We have gone from a surplus situation to a deficit 
matter.
  We have families in my district and other districts who are out of 
work occasioned by September 11 circumstances. The economy turned down 
before and after that. They have exhausted their unemployment benefits.
  We have had to have a discharge petition, signed by virtually 
everyone on this side of the aisle, trying to get that matter before 
the House's attention so we can do something about extending people's 
unemployment benefits, so we can do something about helping them 
maintain health care for their family at this trying time. We have seen 
nothing coming forward at this opportune time.
  We could be doing something about job training, to get people back to 
work. We need that, but this administration and the majority only wants 
to talk about taking away resources.
  Mr. Speaker, there is business to be done in this House. That 
business is not telling the other body what to do with their time; the 
business of this House is to take up an agenda of items that by law we 
should be dealing with before the end of this fiscal year.
  We should be dealing with America's issues, with the people's 
problems, the ones they want to deal with and that they want to hear us 
talk about: how we are going to educate their children and give them 
assistance to do that; how we are going to make sure we are not taking 
money out of the Pell grant program, or increasing the cost of loans 
for college students at a time when they are really pressed; how we are 
going to give those displaced people the tools to get back to work; how 
we are going to make sure that people have health care; what are we 
going to do about prescription drug benefits, and the high cost in an 
industry that makes outrageous profits, but fails to acknowledge the 
fact that the taxpayers' money assists them with research and 
development, so the prices should be fairer.
  Those are the issues that we should be dealing with in these ending 
days of this session. This should be a shameful matter, for our 
colleagues on the other side of the aisle to bring forward this 
resolution that does absolutely nothing; that may express good 
intentions that we all want a welfare bill to pass through; but the 
fact of the matter is, this body has finished its work.
  We have much more work to do in other areas, and it is a disgrace 
that that is not what is before this House at this particular time. I 
would hope and think that the leadership on the other side of the aisle 
might understand that that is what America wants, and get down to that 
business, and get down to it soon.
  We do not mind working; they may. We can be in on Mondays and 
Fridays. We can be in all day Tuesdays and Thursdays. We do not need to 
be ending at 3 o'clock on Wednesday and Thursday.
  Let us get to the business of this House, Mr. Speaker. Let us do that 
so we can let America know that we want to deal with the issues that 
they are confronted with every day. They take the responsibility to get 
up. People go to work. People do all they can do to support their 
families, all they can do to give them an opportunity. We have the 
obligation to make sure that the government does its part.
  Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Mr. Speaker, my colleague, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. 
Tierney), rattled off a number of bills that he thought should become 
law. The fact is, many of these bills have been passed by this House. 
As a matter of fact, there are some 50 bills that have been passed by 
the House, but yet the Senate has not acted.
  One of those bills would be the prescription drug bill, passed by the 
House, but yet the Senate has not acted. Another one of those bills is 
the welfare reform bill that we are dealing with here today.
  In 1996, when we passed welfare reform, all the naysayers said that 
it will push people into poverty, it will push them onto the streets; 
we should not do this. I recall the gentleman from Massachusetts making 
remarks to that effect.
  The fact is, since 1996, we have reduced welfare caseloads in America 
by some 60 percent. Three million children in America today are no 
longer in poverty because we helped move people from welfare to work. 
We can make an awful lot of additional changes and help more people in 
welfare if we are willing to move the reauthorization of that bill.
  Now, it just so happens that the welfare bill that we passed in 1996 
expires next week. The gentleman wants to get our work done? So do we. 
That is why we have this resolution on the floor today, to urge us to 
complete action on this bill so that we can in fact get it to the 
President's desk.
  Mr. TIERNEY. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield for a 
clarification?
  The gentleman has a great memory, but I do not think he can remember 
that I was here in 1996 when I was not.
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, welfare reform is working. The 1996 welfare 
reform law has been a huge success in promoting work and giving 
thousands of needy families a chance to share in the American dream.
  Just take a look at some of the yardsticks which measure the success 
of the welfare reform law:
  Child poverty has fallen sharply. Since 1996, nearly 3 million 
children have been lifted from poverty; the African-American child 
poverty rate is now at a record low.
  More parents are working. Employment by mothers most likely to go on 
welfare rose by 40 percent between 1995 and 2000.
  Dependence fell by unprecedented levels. Welfare caseloads fell by 9 
million--from 14 million recipients in 1994 to just 5 million today.
  As positive as that good news is, we also recognize that there is 
still more work left to do. We need to help the 58 percent of 
recipients who are not working or training for a job. We need to end 
the cycle of family break-up and encourage families to form. We need to 
continue to assist the 2 million families who remain dependent on 
welfare.
  I was pleased to vote with large bipartisan majorities of the House 
and the Senate to pass the 1996 law. I again voted just this past May 
with a majority in the House for H.R. 4737, the Personal 
Responsibility, Work and Family Promotion Act of 2002, to strengthen 
and extend the 1996 reforms for 5 years.
  H.R. 4737 is on the Senate calendar. The President is waiting to sign 
this legislation to continue the progress we have made to support low-
income families' efforts to go to work and give children a chance to 
succeed in life. Before the 107th Congress adjourns, we can and should 
have a final vote on this measure. It's the right thing to do for the 2 
million families who remain dependent on welfare.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak on H. Res. 525, 
expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress 
should pass a welfare bill before September 30th.
  The Welfare Reform bill is among the most significant and important 
pieces of legislation that this Congress will consider. While there is 
a sense of urgency to adopt legislation on Welfare Reform this year, 
September 30th is less than 2 weeks away and Congress should not rush 
to pass such an important bill. We should take as much time as is 
necessary to work on the bill.
  The Republican base bill which did not allow for amendments, would 
increase poverty instead of reducing it, as it purports to do. The 
bill, in its present form, imposes massive new mandates and additional 
costs on States at a time when States are struggling financially and 
cannot absorb not one penny more of new costs. In my district, the U.S. 
Virgin Islands, our Department of Health and Human Services is under 
threat of strict penalties for lack of job placements. Jobs are simply 
not as available as they were when the original Welfare Reform bill was 
passed. And let's not forget that our economy is still recovering from 
the aftermath of September 11th and that Congress has not passed any 
economic stimulus legislation, except for the Airline bailout bill. 
This country's offshore areas, would be particularly negatively 
impacted, because of even less resources, and poor economic conditions 
with fewer jobs within geographical limitations.
  Mr. Speaker, the Welfare Reform bill passed by the House is a set 
back for this country. If the reactionary political climate of an 
election year is pressuring us to pass a bill, lets simply extend the 
current authorization into the beginning of 2003 so that we can do this 
right. Let's think of the people who are most affected by our actions. 
Let's give our states and territories flexibility and let's give our 
people hope.
  Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition of H. Res. 525, 
urging House and Senate conferees to approve a final welfare bill.
  It is vital that Congress reach agreement on welfare so that 
vulnerable families have the help and assistance they need to become 
self-sufficient. But, House Republicans are putting politics ahead of 
people. They are offering this resolution to taunt Senate Democrats for 
not rolling over and rubberstamping their draconian welfare bill.

[[Page H6393]]

  I applaud Senate Democrats for taking a careful look at the 
challenges facing Americans struggling in poverty. We need to pass 
legislation that fixes many of the flaws in welfare reform. I am glad 
Senate Democrats are there to protect these families against 
Republicans that are little more than foxes guarding the hen house.
  House Republicans are declaring that the 1996 welfare reform bill is 
already a success. They tout the welfare bill they passed this year as 
an even better improvement. Yet, there are still too many families 
struggling to get out of poverty. There are too many families without 
safe and adequate child care. And Republicans have largely ignored the 
vast number of people who face insurmountable barriers in moving from 
welfare to work.
  The bill passed by House Republicans ignores the last six years of 
careful study in applying the same old ideological prescriptions to 
very real flaws in welfare reform. They are focused on kicking people 
off welfare without any concern for whether or not these Americans have 
jobs that pay a living wage. Their bill fails to expand access to job 
training, education or rehabilitative services needed for them to 
maintain stable employment.
  The American people want results, not political gamesmanship. 
Vulnerable families struggling on welfare deserve meaningful help and a 
fighting chance to succeed. Let's not give Republicans an opportunity 
to score political points at their expense. I urge my colleagues to 
join me in voting against this resolution.
  Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.


                Announcement by the Speaker pro tempore

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair would remind all persons in the 
gallery that they are here as guests of the House and that any 
manifestation of approval or disapproval of proceedings or other 
audible conversation is in violation of the House rules.
  All time for debate has expired.
  Pursuant to House Resolution 527, the resolution is considered as 
read for amendment, and the previous question is ordered.
  The question is on the resolution.
  The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that 
the ayes appeared to have it.
  Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this question will be postponed.

                          ____________________