Byron Dorgan: “the bill before us represents a historic opportunity to change and improve the welfare system in this country. Today's…”

“the bill before us represents a historic opportunity to change and improve the welfare system in this country. Today's Washington Post headline proclaims that this bill represents a ``basic shift in philosophy'' about welfare in this country. It is true that this bill sends a strong message. That message is: welfare should not be a way of life. We are saying that welfare should be a safety net--a first step toward achieving independence and self-reliance. But this is not a major change from the way most Americans view the welfare system. We are a compassionate nation, and we accept our responsibility to help those who are less fortunate, who are on the bottom rung of the economic ladder, and those--especially children and the elderly--who are unable to help themselves. This basic notion is embedded in our social policy, and this bill does not--can not--change that fundamental view. Our task in drafting this bill has been to ensure that the safety net will always be there for those families needing assistance to get over a temporary setback. I will vote for the welfare reform bill today because I think we need to make some changes in our welfare system. I believe that this bill represents a significant improvement over last year's conference report, which I opposed because it did not provide an adequate safety net for poor children.”