On the recordJuly 19, 2000
Welfare reform was not about saving money. It was about saving people, because we all knew that there were too many people that were being trapped in an endless cycle of dependency and despair, and because of our welfare reforms we allowed States and governors and legislatures to decide what it was that they wanted for their people and how it was that they could use the instruments of government to encourage work, to encourage personal responsibility, to encourage families to stay together, and that is what welfare reform was all about. The great news is, since we passed that bill, gave that authority back to the States, we have seen the welfare roles in the United States drop by 50 percent. That is a great story, not in terms of how much money it will save but most importantly how many people it saves.
Source
govinfo.gov
