Political Quotes

“here is the point I made, and some will not agree--probably most will not agree. Yet, I have been at this long enough to recognize this. The Times takes the view that any system which has produced this result is so bad it must be profoundly changed, dismantled, and done away with. Indeed, the legislation before us on this side of the aisle--the majority leader's legislation--would in fact put an end to this system. It abolishes title 4(a) of the Social Security Act of 1935. It makes a block grant which is sent down to the States, based on their present Federal benefit, and leaves it that the States are free to do what they will. I will not get into it at this moment. But the States are not free to do what they will, anyway. No State has to have a welfare program. No, you do not have to have a welfare program. You do not have to provide more than--you can provide $1 a month per child or $1,000 a month per child. The idea that there are big Federal regulations is mistaken. It is not that the Federal Government has not sought to do a lot of regulating, but the statutes are relatively spare. With a waiver, you can do virtually anything you want. And to say it is your job, now that this system has failed, to take it over, what that does is disengage the Federal Government. No child is entitled to welfare benefits. The State can provide that a child receives benefits, or it can do otherwise.”