Gilbert Gutknecht: “I have had the chance to visit a number of schools in my district. After one visit, I was surprised by one of the…”

“I have had the chance to visit a number of schools in my district. After one visit, I was surprised by one of the teachers who told me that she appreciated the welfare reform that this Congress passed back in 1996. So I asked her to tell me about that. And she said, well, there was this boy in her class, she said, let us call him Johnny. All of a sudden Johnny started to behave better. He had a better attitude, he was a better student. Everything about Johnny was better. Finally she asked Johnny, ``Is there something different at your house?'' And Johnny responded, ``Yeah, my dad got a job.'' Mr. Speaker, a job is more than the way you earn your living. A job helps to define your very life. Despite what some of our liberal friends claim, the real purpose of welfare reform was not so much to save money. It was about saving people. It was about saving families. It was about saving children from one more generation of poverty, dependency and despair. It has certainly made a difference in Johnny's life. Mr. Speaker, what a difference a Republican Congress has made.”