    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book II)]
    [September 30, 1996]
    [Page 1727]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on Welfare Reform Initiatives
    September 30, 1996

        Today I am pleased to announce two important steps my administration
    is taking to continue our progress in making work and responsibility the
    law of the land.
        First, today we have given the green light to the first two States
    to submit their State plans under the new law--Wisconsin and Michigan.
    Both States will receive funding under the new welfare block grant for
    FY 1997 as well as part of FY 1996, and will now come under all the
    requirements of the new welfare law, including the work requirements and
    the 5-year lifetime limit on welfare receipt. Both States no longer need
    an AFDC waiver to carry out their welfare reform plans.
        I am especially pleased by this action, because as I have said
    before, Wisconsin's plan to replace the broken AFDC system with a system
    based on work is one of the boldest, most revolutionary welfare reform
    plans in the country. I am delighted to see it move forward. Michigan is
    also embarking on an innovative plan to reward and require work and
    demand responsibility. I congratulate both States for recognizing what
    all Americans agree on: Welfare reform is first and foremost about work.
        Second, tomorrow we will release the first allotment of child care
    funds to the States. I fought hard for the increased child care funding
    in the new law, because I believe that child care is essential to move
    people from welfare to work. Under the provisions we fought for, funding
    in the new child care block grant for States will increase this year
    from $1.3 billion to $1.9 billion. That means States will receive $600
    million more for child care this year than they would have received
    without the new law.
        These steps build on the progress we have already made over the last
    4 years to reform welfare and crack down on child support enforcement.
    Since I took office, the welfare rolls have dropped by 1.9 million;
    child support collections have increased by nearly 50 percent to a
    record $11.8 billion; and last year's decline in the number of Americans
    in poverty was the largest one-year drop in 27 years. I am determined to
    keep working to make sure these trends continue moving in the right
    direction.