Neal Dunn: “Mr. Chairman, when you pass major reform of a part of government as huge, as magnificent as welfare, you need to make…”

“Mr. Chairman, when you pass major reform of a part of government as huge, as magnificent as welfare, you need to make sure that nobody falls through the cracks. That is the reason we are looking at this bill once again, 6 years after our accomplishment of welfare reform. It gives us a chance to review all the areas of the legislation and to make mid-course corrections where we need to. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the Cardin substitute and in strong support of H.R. 4, the Personal Responsibility, Work and Family Promotion Act. This is critical legislation which builds on the great successes of the 1996 law to move people out of poverty into self-sufficiency. In 1996, we made historic changes to the welfare program. We transformed the welfare system from a permanent entitlement program that tolerated an average of 13 years on government dependence to a temporary assistance program that provided people the incentives to start working again, provided them the opportunities to gain the necessary skills to retain a job and provided them the great feeling of worth that comes from becoming self-sufficient.”