My administration remains ready at any moment to sit down in good faith with Democrats and Republicans in Congress to work out a real welfare reform plan.

IFOR will ensure withdrawal of the forces of the parties to the agreed inter-entity borders within an agreed period.

I am determined to work with Congress to achieve real, bipartisan welfare reform.

I authorized these deployments and U.S. participation in IFOR in conjunction with our NATO allies and other troop contributing nations.

I have ordered the deployment of approximately 20,000 U.S. military personnel to participate in the IFOR in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

This welfare bill includes deep cuts that are tough on children and at odds with my central goal of moving people from welfare to work.

But if Congress sends me this conference report, I will veto it and insist that they try again.

I am disappointed that Republicans are trying to use the words 'welfare reform' as cover to advance a budget plan that is at odds with America's values.

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to improve the functioning of the National Partnership Council, it is hereby ordered that Executive Order No. 12871…

Americans know that welfare reform is not about playing budget politics; it is about moving people from welfare to work.

The Republican budget cuts in Medicaid and the earned-income tax credit would undermine real reform and penalize people who choose work over welfare.

This reduction in benefits discourages work by senior citizens who are able and willing to stay in the workforce.

It makes no sense to eliminate an industry-driven, highly competitive, cost-shared initiative like our Advanced Technology Program (ATP).

That rider not only would make bad policy, it also has no place in this bill.

It's just wrong for the Federal employees, and even more for the American people, to have the Government close the week before Christmas.

I want to sign a good bill and I am prepared to do exactly that if the Congress will make the following changes to this legislation.

It will pull back the curtains from the world of Washington lobbying.

This bill is tough.