Johnny Isakson: “I commend him on his hard work, and I rise in support of H.R. 4737. Mr. Speaker, I have to make an observation. The…”

“I commend him on his hard work, and I rise in support of H.R. 4737. Mr. Speaker, I have to make an observation. The well-intended birth of aid to families with dependent children and welfare in the 1960s was a temporary assistance to help Americans in need. It became a generational entitlement that trapped generations of Americans in subsistence. In 1996, Members on both sides of the aisle voted for a bill that some called at that time a bill that would increase the welfare rolls, children in hunger and in poverty. And today, 5 million American families that were on welfare are off and their self-esteem is high. They are now the taxpayers that the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews) referred to, who would have answered his question with a resounding no. They would have said yes, we do believe the rest of ours who are entrapped in poverty should be uplifted like we have been as well. I find it unfortunate that Members of this House would condemn a success and try and make the fact that it is not incrementally as good as they would like it to be the reason why we ought to go back to generational entrapment.”