[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 129 (Friday, September 21, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1618-E1619]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  DISAPPROVING RULE RELATING TO WAIVER AND EXPENDITURE AUTHORITY WITH 
     RESPECT TO THE TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES PROGRAM

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                               speech of

                           HON. WALLY HERGER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 20, 2012

  Mr. HERGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.J. Res. 118 because I 
believe Congress must act to preserve a principle that has helped lift 
millions of American families out of poverty. The principle is simple: 
Able-bodied welfare recipients should engage in work. And we know for a 
fact, based on the success of welfare reform, that this principle 
works. More than sixteen years of strong work requirements have 
demonstrated that a job and a

[[Page E1619]]

paycheck--not a government check--is the best escape from the clutches 
of poverty and the best hope of building a better life.
  Unfortunately, the Obama Administration has announced its intention 
to allow states to opt out of these requirements. I believe Congress 
must emphatically reject this plan. We must refuse to go down a path 
that leads us back to a sad and painful time in our history where 
millions of American families were trapped in a cycle of poverty and 
dependency. This is the stark choice we have before us today.
  The Administration's plan is egregious on process as well as 
substance. By blatantly going beyond their statutory authority, the 
Administration's action fits into a growing and disturbing pattern of 
this President disregarding the law and acting unilaterally to override 
laws duly enacted by Congress. We cannot stand by and allow the 
executive branch to trample on the Constitutional authority of this 
body, which has the sole power to legislate.
  Given these concerns, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution 
of disapproval and reject the Administration's misguided attempt to 
undermine the hope of prosperity for millions of American families 
eager to support themselves economically. Mr. Speaker, let us reaffirm 
the principle that, far more effectively than any government program, 
work places the American people on the path to self-sufficiency and 
prosperity.

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