James M. Jeffords: “So as we go forward with this welfare reform, let us keep in mind some things. I do not think there is a person here or…”

“So as we go forward with this welfare reform, let us keep in mind some things. I do not think there is a person here or the House who does not want welfare reform, including the White House. The question is, how do we reach a consensus? That is not going to be easy, there is no question about it. We have some people at the extremes of the process from no welfare to all welfare. But what we have to do is to try and reach that middle ground. We have to make some areas where we can have a consensus, and certainly one of those ought to be the provision of child care. There is not anyone in this body who does not believe there ought to be adequate child care. This amendment is the only thing which will bring us close to that. So, if we are going to have consensus on the issue of child care and if we really want to do what we are supposed to do here, and that is to break through the cycle of welfare, if we are going to give the children of those in the most desperate economic situations in this country the ability for them to have the education which is necessary, all the studies show if they do not get the early preschool education, they start out at a big disadvantage.”