Chuck Grassley: “a recent paper by the Progressive Policy Institute leveled three criticisms at the Republican welfare reform plan. It is…”

“a recent paper by the Progressive Policy Institute leveled three criticisms at the Republican welfare reform plan. It is to generate short-term budget savings, the first charge leveled; to satisfy GOP Governors' demands for flexibility; and, lastly, to avoid making tough decisions. Now, obviously, that last statement is most ludicrous that the Progressive Policy Institute leveled against us because we have seen the Federal Government fail on welfare reform. You know, there was a massive effort made in 1988 at the Federal level to move people from welfare to work, to save the taxpayers money. We have seen 3.1 million more people on welfare now than before we passed our so-called welfare reform plan in 1988. In the meantime, we have seen States like Missouri, my State of Iowa, the States of Wisconsin, Michigan, Massachusetts, New Jersey--and I suppose there are a lot of others that ought to be named--reform welfare in a very ambitious way and in an ambitious way that we have not had the guts or the will to do here in Washington, DC, at the congressional level. And we have seen through State action people move from welfare to work and saving the taxpayers money. In my own State of Iowa we have 2,000 less people on welfare than 3 years ago when we passed the welfare reform plan. We have seen our monthly checks go from an average of $360 down to $340.”