[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 627]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      WELFARE BILL REAUTHORIZATION

  (Ms. WOOLSEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Over 30 years ago, Mr. Speaker, I was a single mom with 
three small children, and even though I was working, I needed AFDC, 
welfare, to add to my income for health care, child care and food 
stamps.
  When Congress passed welfare reform in 1996, I warned that getting 
women off the welfare rolls and into dead-end jobs would not be enough, 
especially if we had a downturn in the economy. The goal of welfare 
must be to break the cycle of poverty, not just get women jobs that pay 
slightly above minimum wage.
  Under the welfare reauthorization that is before us this year, 
education must count as work so we can help recipients gain access to 
training and education so that they can improve their economic future 
and the future for their children. But without skills, the skills 
needed for a job, a job that pays a livable wage, and the knowledge 
that their children are getting good child care while they are away at 
work, moms will have a hard time succeeding.

                          ____________________