[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 26 (Wednesday, February 12, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H395-H396]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            TRUSTING REPUBLICAN PRINCIPLES TO CHANGE AMERICA

  (Mr. DeLAY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, America's success in reforming the 
dysfunctional welfare system during the mid-1990s is one of our House 
Republican majority's proudest hours. We reached out with the hand of 
hope to millions of Americans who lost control of their own destinies 
as they fell, trapped within the grip of a destructive Federal-funded 
life-style of apathy and ambivalence.
  Welfare reform gave millions of families a powerful message of 
inspiration and achievement. They had not been written off. They were 
not trapped behind. They were not the perpetual prisoners of perverse 
incentives.
  Our House Republican majority said, Your American dream is alive and 
we appeal to each of you to discover your passion and follow your 
heart. Millions of formerly dependent people seized the challenge. They 
lifted their family to security, stability, and they discovered the 
inherent nobility of work, all types of work. There is virtue in hard 
work of any kind. A job done well earns our respect in any arena.
  This success also taught Republicans a potent lesson. When we trust 
our principles, they work. By applying Republican principles to social 
policy, we demonstrated that our approach works even better in practice 
than it appeared on paper or theory. And our principles will work just 
as well when we apply them to many of the other difficult social 
problems that are diminishing young lives, straining families, and 
weakening our broader society.
  We need to be confident. We need to engage our Republican approach to 
individual empowerment across the full spectrum of problems that we are 
confronting as a country. And we need to

[[Page H396]]

guard against the erosion of the important principles that are turning 
lives around in cities, counties and States from north to south, ocean 
to ocean.
  Specifically, we have to promote work to foster independence; improve 
young lives by lifting children from the grip of poverty; strengthen 
families by fostering respect for the institution of marriage; and 
finally, to boost the fortunes of every single American by unleashing a 
broad economic expansion that will spread opportunity to every willing 
worker.
  Mr. Speaker, that is our dream for the people of this country, 
fulfilling America's promise for every man, woman and child.

                          ____________________