WALLY HERGER: “Mr. Chairman, just to respond, it is important that we move now. We had more than 20 hearings on this legislation last…”

“Mr. Chairman, just to respond, it is important that we move now. We had more than 20 hearings on this legislation last year. The legislation actually expired September 30 of 2002. We are now 6 months on life support. The gentleman from Washington (Mr. McDermott) mentioned that the reason the welfare rolls have dropped is because of prosperity. I would remind the gentleman that we are in a recession now. And even though we are in a recession, the welfare rolls, even since 2000, have dropped some 7 percent. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.”