Political Quotes

“Mr. President, a little over 25 years ago, a Democrat President and a Republican Congress came together, to quote former President Clinton, ``end welfare as we know it.'' On a bipartisan basis, Congress passed, and President Clinton signed into law, a bill called the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act. Amongst other things, this landmark law established the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families--what we go by here in Washington, called the TANF Program. That program was replacing the previous family assistance program. TANF was specifically designed to promote work and to help struggling parents back onto their own two feet. It was very successful--about 40 percent less people on welfare than before 1996. The new program did this by creating work requirements and promoting skill development through education and job training. While critics at the time contended dire consequences would result--particularly for single mothers--in the end, all these critics were proven fantastically wrong. Welfare reform immediately led to a precipitous decline in welfare caseloads and usage. At the same time, the single mother labor force participation rate rose, and their incomes climbed--a step toward getting out of poverty. A recent research shows the gains were not only short term but led to an improvement in the material well-being of single mothers throughout the following decades.…”