On the recordJanuary 25, 1994
I am pleased to join with my distinguished colleague, Senator Brown, in introducing a real welfare reform bill. As part of his campaign, President Clinton promised to ``End welfare as we know it,'' yet a year has gone by and Americans are still waiting for his proposal. Right now--too many Americans who receive welfare assistance need to be set free from the chains that bind them to a dependency on government handouts. Handouts that often destroy their self-sufficiency. Republicans have responded to this welfare crisis with leadership-- action has been taken by our Republican Governors, by Republican Members of the House of Representatives and right here in the U.S. Senate. Our emphasis has been on ending welfare as a way of life--by strengthening real work requirements for able-bodied adults who receive government assistance and by encouraging parental responsibility. The Republican proposals recognize the human despair of those in need, while at the same time, taking a real look at who needs welfare and what should be the responsibilities of those who receive cash assistance. This country was built on the American dream--not the assurance of a free ride. Mr. President, the legislation that Senator Brown has introduced today asks welfare recipients to commit to what made this country great--the American work ethic.
