Political Quotes

“The proposal offered by the distinguished Senator from South Dakota and the Senator from Louisiana offers a safety net for children that I urge my colleagues to look at. The voucher system that allows for that safety net for children. The same on the food stamp issue that has been raised earlier. Again, by block granting it, you run the risk in certain States, because the political will is not there--and my colleagues know as well as I do that can happen--then the food stamp issue is also lost. I hope that is not the case. I heard my colleague from Pennsylvania earlier say he did not think that would happen. I hope he is right. But I do not know why we cannot require some safety net so all of us on a national level know these children are not going to be adversely affected. One of the other provisions that has not been the subject of much debate is the penalties imposed by the majority's proposal. We are told by the Congressional Budget Office that many States will not be able to meet the criteria laid out in the legislation, the standards here, and that in fact they will be imposing penalties of 5 percent of the assistance they will be receiving under this bill in the first year. Then it is cumulative.”