On the recordOctober 14, 1998
One of the central planks of our Contract with America was real welfare reform that required work and personal responsibility. Three times we passed our plan that gave States wide latitude to reform their systems. Twice the President vetoed. Our friends on the left warned of dire consequences. Donna Shalala was, quote, visibly shaken when the President finally signed the bill. Since then welfare rolls have been cut by nearly 40 percent. Over 2 million families have moved off of welfare rolls and onto payrolls. Dependency and despair have been replaced with hope and opportunity. Billions of dollars are being saved, but, more important, we are saving millions of children from one more generation of poverty. Mr. Speaker, what a difference a Republican Congress has made.
Source
govinfo.gov
