On the recordMarch 9, 2010
I voted against waving a budget point of order to the Murray/Kerry amendment on the grounds that it is not paid for and contained terrible welfare and Medicare policies. The Congress cannot keep spending money it does not have. It is unconscionable to put forth an amendment that is not being paid for at a time of exploding deficits to an underlying bill that already has another $104 billion not paid for. In addition to adding to the deficit during a fiscal crisis, the underlying Murray/Kerry amendment perpetuates flawed welfare policies that undermine key principles of welfare reform. The Murray/Kerry amendment perpetuates the fund established in the stimulus bill that, for the first time since the landmark 1996 welfare reform act, rewards States for increasing their welfare caseload and does not require these additional eligible adults to participate in work, education or training activities. This in turn adds to the current deplorable situation where, according to the latest data we have from the Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. average for eligible adults receiving welfare doing nothing is 56 percent. That is right--on average 56 percent of adults receiving welfare are engaged in zero hours of work, training or education activity. Some States have over 70 percent of eligible adults doing nothing. That is zero hours of job search. Zero hours of education. Zero hours of substance abuse treatment. Zero hours of job training.
