Trent Lott: “I want to say also in closing, Mr. President, that I, too, am very much concerned that the President vetoed the welfare…”

“I want to say also in closing, Mr. President, that I, too, am very much concerned that the President vetoed the welfare reform package. After talking a great deal about how we were going to end welfare as we have known it, we have, in fact, not done it. He did veto the bill last night. There has been suggestions that there are major problems with this bill. But the Congress did add back some $10 billion from where the House position was to try to get a bill that the President could sign. It does have genuine reform. There is complaint in effect from the minority leader that we are giving States more authority. That has been one of our goals, to give more flexibility to the States. As a matter of fact, States have been getting waivers to have this flexibility. So we need to get work back into welfare. We need genuine welfare reform. The President has vetoed this bill. I think it is a big mistake. But I think it is incumbent upon Congress that we immediately get back together to try to come up with a welfare reform that in fact saves money, that does not spend more money, and that does retain the work requirements that we have been committed to throughout the year.”