Political Quotes

“the President has now vetoed H.R. 4, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act of 1995. As the bill passed the Senate, December 22, 1995, with a margin of only 5 votes, 52-47, there can be no question of a veto override. Hence, the judgment of Robert Pear of the New York Times that "The President's action concludes a 4-year drama that began when Mr. Clinton, as a Presidential candidate in 1992, promised to 'end welfare as we know it.'" Last September 19, essentially the same bill, indeed H.R. 4, passed the Senate 87-12, with only 11 Democrats opposed. In the interval Elizabeth Shogren of the Los Angeles Times and Judith Havemann and Ann Devroy of the Washington Post reported that the Department of Health and Human Services had submitted an analysis of the bill to the White House. Owing largely to the 5-year time limit, it would throw some 1.5 million children into poverty. No one could have wished this, and Democrats were especially bound to take into account this assessment of a Democratic administration. And so, in the end, 45 of 46 Democrats voted against the measure, Republican Senators Campbell and Hatfield joined us.”