Mike Levin: “Mr. Chairman, the real issue before us is where we go from here. We can analyze where we were in 1995 and 1996. Many of…”

“Mr. Chairman, the real issue before us is where we go from here. We can analyze where we were in 1995 and 1996. Many of us worked hard to bring about a welfare reform that linked welfare-to-work and provided child care and also provided health care. After those ingredients were placed into the bill, and it was a struggle, many of us voted for the welfare reform bill, despite serious inadequacies, especially as to legal immigrants and as to food stamps. Where do we go from here? It is said a paycheck is dignity. Yes, a paycheck that provides people with a living wage and that moves them out of poverty is the true ticket of dignity. The problem with the bill that has been brought before us... Our challenge now is whether people can move from welfare to work out of poverty and into true independence, and that is what the Cardin substitute does.”