    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1995, Book II)]
    [July 1, 1995]
    [Pages 1043-1044]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 1043]]

    The President's Radio Address
    July 1, 1995

        Good morning. On this Fourth of July weekend, I want to talk about
    one thing that is at the root of all of our independence: going to work.
    It makes you self-sufficient. It makes you and your family truly
    independent.
        Unfortunately, millions of Americans are not independent because
    they are dependent on welfare. The vast majority of these Americans
    dream the same dreams most of us do. They want the same dignity that
    comes from going to work and the pride that comes from doing right by
    their children. They want to be independent.
        The Congress and I are now working hard on welfare reform to give
    them that kind of independence. I look forward to Congress passing and
    my signing into law a bipartisan bill that stands a real chance of
    ending welfare as we know it.
        Though there are very different approaches in the bills now before
    Congress, we have agreed on much of what we need to do. We agree there
    must be time limits on welfare, after which all who can must work. And
    I'm pleased that Congress has now agreed with me that we must enforce
    child support with the toughest possible laws.
        But if we're going to end welfare, we must do more about a crucial
    element that is missing from the current approach of many in Congress.
    Instead of providing the child care people need to get off welfare, some
    in Congress actually are trying to cut child care.
        So today I say to Congress, child care must be the central element
    of our effort to put welfare mothers to work. The bold plan that I
    support, which has been proposed by Senators Daschle, Breaux, and
    Mikulski, provides that kind of child care. Our bill presents a genuine
    opportunity for bipartisan agreement, and I hope we take advantage of it
    soon. After all, we should want the same thing for people on welfare we
    want for all Americans, the chance to build strong families and to make
    the most of their own lives.
        The very name of the welfare program says it all: Aid to Families
    With Dependent Children. Children by nature are dependent. The point of
    welfare reform must not be to punish children but to help their families
    become independent. To be independent with dependent children, a person
    must be able to succeed both as a worker and a parent. That's what most
    Americans have to do these days.
        That's a big reason I worked so hard back in 1993 to cut taxes for
    working families with children whose incomes were under $28,000, and now
    they're about $1,000 lower than they used to be. And that's why I'm
    working hard to include in my middle class bill of rights a tax credit
    of $500 per child for all the children under 13 in middle class
    families. And that's why it is pure fantasy to believe we can put a
    welfare mother to work unless we provide child care for her children. We
    don't need more latchkey kids. We certainly don't need more neglected
    children. And we don't want more welfare mothers staying at home, living
    on welfare just because they can't find child care.
        We do want people to be good workers and good parents. And if we
    want parents on welfare to go to work, we have to make sure they can
    find good, clean, safe places for their children to go during the day.
        Many in Congress want to cut child care just to save money. Well, I
    want to cut spending, and I want to save money too. But we have to do it
    the smart way. Cutting child care will make it harder for parents to get
    off and stay off welfare. It will therefore cost us far more down the
    road than it will ever save in the near term.
        Some people in Congress want to take even more extreme steps that
    will hurt, not strengthen, families. They don't want welfare reform
    unless it cuts off all help to children whose mothers are poor, young,
    and unmarried. I want to discourage teen pregnancy. We have to do that,
    but not by hurting innocent babies. We should require teen mothers to
    live at home,

    [[Page 1044]]

    stay in school, and turn their lives around so they and their children
    stay off welfare for good.
        Our administration has already put 29 States on the road to ending
    welfare as we know it with waivers to free them up from cumbersome
    Federal rules and regulations when they have good ideas to reform
    welfare. Today I'm pleased to announce that Virginia will receive the
    newest waiver. Virginia's plan requires people on welfare to go to work.
    Like the States of Oregon, Missouri, and a few others, it also allows
    money now spent on welfare and food stamps to go to employers to
    supplement wages to help create jobs in the private sector. And it helps
    people get child care. It's a good plan, and I'm proud to be supporting
    it.
        Several months ago, I called on Congress to send me a welfare reform
    bill by July 4th, Independence Day. I'm disappointed they haven't been
    able to meet that deadline, but I am hopeful that we'll move forward on
    a bipartisan welfare reform bill. I don't want filibusters. I don't want
    vetoes. I don't want gridlock. But I do want real welfare reform that
    requires work, demands responsibility, and provides the child care
    people need to move off welfare and to be successful as workers and
    parents.
        It's time to get to work so we can give millions of other Americans
    a new Independence Day.
        Thanks for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 12:38 p.m. on June 30 at the Sheraton
    Chicago in Chicago, IL, for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on July 1.