[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 3]
[House]
[Page 4138]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             ACHIEVING INDEPENDENCE THROUGH WELFARE REFORM

  (Mr. TIAHRT asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. TIAHRT. Mr. Speaker, I have been looking forward to today for 
quite some time. Today we are introducing the welfare reform bill that 
will build upon the successes of our historic 1996 reforms.
  In the past 6 years I have heard numerous success stories that arose 
from the 1996 welfare reform legislation that touched millions of 
lives.
  Our great former President, Ronald Reagan, once said, ``We should 
measure welfare's success by how many people leave welfare, not by how 
many people are added.''
  In 1996 there were over 14 million welfare cases. Since then, 
however, that number has been reduced by 9 million. But this debate is 
more than just about numbers. It is about people.
  Statistics cannot explain the smiling faces of success. Before and 
during recess, Members have been learning firsthand about success 
stories in each of our districts, which we have been pleased to share 
with you. These are truly inspirational stories about overcoming 
adversity to achieve independence. That, Mr. Speaker, is what the 
American dream is all about.
  Let us help make that dream a reality by passing President Bush's 
welfare reform proposal.

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