Jack Kingston: “Before going to the fifth topic, I want to make it very abundantly clear for the record that we would not be in a…”

“Before going to the fifth topic, I want to make it very abundantly clear for the record that we would not be in a position of having a welfare bill today if not for the action of the freshman class and the leadership of the 4 of you and many of your colleagues, because I can say this having come the previous term. We all talked about welfare, we never could get a bill on the floor of the House. You have been persistent. I would like to say also, I do not think there is anything extreme about saying able-bodied people who can work would be required to work, and I do not think there is anything extreme about getting people out of the poverty trap, and I do not think there is anything extreme about saying to noncitizens, you cannot have our welfare benefits if that is the reason you have come into the country. I know your class has caught lots of criticism, but this victory today belongs to your class. I think that is very important.”