[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 3]
[House]
[Page 4140]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           CRITICAL TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THE WELFARE SYSTEM

  (Mr. BROWN of South Carolina asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BROWN of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, it used to be that when 
Members took to the floor to discuss the issue of welfare there was not 
a lot of good news; but as a member of the Committee on the Budget, I 
am pleased to report that things are looking up thanks to the welfare 
reform legislation passed by the Republicans in 1996.
  Today, we are introducing a bill that builds upon the indisputable 
success of the 1996 law, and I am proud to support it.
  Republican-led welfare reform has proved successful by replacing 
welfare checks with paychecks, fostering independence, boosting 
personal income, and improving the well-being of children. It is 
critical that we continue to improve the welfare system so that people 
can continue to improve their lives.
  Six years ago, we made a historic and positive change in our society 
and the role of our government. We can now say with confidence that the 
system is working because people are working. We have turned a corner, 
but our work is far from being done.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues who supported the success of the 
1996 bill to keep up the good work and spread the good word to those 
who doubted this landmark reform last time around. Let us put people 
before politics.

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