Political Quotes

“today I am introducing the Welfare Reform Through State Innovation Act of 1994. The welfare system is in crisis. The United States has one of the most expensive welfare systems in the world. But last year 20 percent of America's children were poor--a higher percentage than any other industrialized country. There is a consensus that we need to do something different from what we have done for the past 25 years to move poor children out of poverty and despair. The primary welfare program--aid to families with dependent children [AFDC]--is viewed by those participating in it and those paying for it as a failure. And there is some consensus about the objectives of reform--Americans agree that welfare should strengthen, not weaken, the benefits of work and family. But little consensus exists on how best to achieve our goals, and the welfare reform debate is increasingly polarized. As a legislator and law enforcer, I have worked on welfare issues for nearly 25 years. Over the past year, I have tried to pull together the best welfare reform idea. In the process, I have talked to those studying the system, those working in the system, and those dependent on the system. I am particularly appreciative of the counsel of Audrey Rowe, Connecticut's commissioner of social services. Most of all, I have benefited from my discussions with people who have been on welfare, and who have been willing to talk candidly with me about their experiences and their ideas.”