Bill Clinton: “Let me answer the second question first. Yes, I want to end welfare as we know it, and if people are able-bodied, able…”

“Let me answer the second question first. Yes, I want to end welfare as we know it, and if people are able-bodied, able to work and there's a job available for them, and they refuse to work, I think they should live with the consequences. I don't think many people will refuse to work. The evidence is that most people on welfare, once their children are taken care of, are eager to go to work if they have the skills necessary to succeed in the work force. I want to back up in a minute and tell you the sequence of events that we intend to follow here to put us in a position to end welfare as we know it. But let me answer your specific question now on the Wisconsin program. I talked with Governor Thompson about this briefly, not when I saw him on Saturday but the last time I saw him when I was in Wisconsin. And I urged him to put the plan together and get it through and send it to us. And I assured him that we would give it quick consideration. I can't commit to support something the details of which I have not reviewed, but in general I've been very favorable to pilot projects in the welfare reform and in the health care reform area. Now, let me back up very briefly and tell you what I think we have to do to end welfare as we know it, if I might. Number one, you've got to make work pay. That's one of the most important parts of this economic program. Under our economic program, we use something called the earned-income tax credit which basically is a tax credit which can even lead to a refund to people. If they work 40 hours a week and have children in the home, we don't believe people should live in poverty. This is a dramatic improvement in promoting work over welfare. So if the budget passes, you'll have a principle that has to be established: If you work 40 hours a week, you have children in the home, you won't be in poverty. Number two, we have to toughen child support enforcement dramatically. Wisconsin has done a lot of good work on that, and we're going to build on that and the work of other States to do that. Number three, we have to pass a health reform plan that guarantees that the children in this country will have health care. A lot of people don't leave welfare for work because they think their kids will lose their health care coverage. Number four, we've got to make sure we educate and train workers. And then, five, if we're going to call an end to welfare after 2 years, we have to know that there will be work available. So if there is not a private sector job we're going to have to offer work as an alternative to welfare. Those things will be done in order, and as they are done, we literally will change the whole focus of this social program from welfare to work, from dependence to independence. NAFTA”