Reforming Welfare, Building Better Futures
In 1996, the Republican Congress led the charge to fundamentally reform our country’s welfare system that for too long had kept families locked into dead-end avenues of despair and poverty. The result was a sea change in the lives of millions of American families. Since we passed that bill, our country’s welfare rolls have been reduced by half and millions of Americans have been able to find meaningful employment and brighter futures.
Just last month, the House of Representatives voted to renew our commitment to real welfare reform by approving H.R. 4737, The Personal Responsibility, Work and Family Promotion Act of 2002. This legislation will build on the incredible successes of welfare reform by encouraging more work and providing greater flexibility for states and local communities to help their neediest citizens achieve greater independence.
The new legislation enhances work requirements for those receiving welfare benefits by requiring 40 hours of work per week, rather than 30. This increase will strengthen the success of welfare reforms in place by allowing recipients to earn more on the job and establish a record of gainful employment. At the same time, the bill provides the necessary support for families working to meet this new requirement. An additional $2 billion will help cover the child care needs of welfare recipients who have jobs. This increase will aid single parents who need to be able to spend the time finding and holding a job in order to leave welfare behind and independently support their families.
One of the keys to the success of welfare reform was the flexibility it gave to our states. Under H.R. 4737, states will continue to receive block grants of up to $16.5 billion per year, in addition to historically high levels of funding for child-care block grants. The states will also be allowed to count up to 16 hours a week of education, job training or substance abuse treatment as work, helping recipients meet that new work requirement.
Welfare reform is about providing opportunity where there was none, and showing all Americans that they, too, can succeed. It’s about bringing people over to the productive side of the economy, giving them the confidence that comes from contributing to the communities through their work and families. I pledge to continue the work we started in 1996, continuing to lift children and families out of poverty and giving them hope for a better tomorrow.
