Jon Kyl: “What I said was that once a welfare state program is instituted, it is very difficult to get rid of it even if the need…”

“What I said was that once a welfare state program is instituted, it is very difficult to get rid of it even if the need for it has been eliminated or reduced. That, in my opinion--and I know the distinguished Senator from Iowa disagrees with this opinion--but in my opinion, the LIHEAP Program is a program which was originally intended to be temporary. That is a fact. But it has now become permanent notwithstanding, in my opinion, the fact that the need for it has largely been eliminated or reduced, thus demonstrating a program instituted for very good reasons but, in my view, which no longer is justified--as distinguished from the Pell Grant Program. I think none of us would argue the need for that has been reduced or eliminated.”