David Thomas: “Mr. Chairman, before 1996, welfare recipients were trapped, trapped in a welfare system for an average of 13 years. The…”

“Mr. Chairman, before 1996, welfare recipients were trapped, trapped in a welfare system for an average of 13 years. The welfare program actually discouraged work, amazingly enough, and caseloads climbed, peaking at 14 million individuals in 5 million families. In 1996, reform law turned the welfare program in the right direction, in the work direction. Recipients now are benefiting from increased work, education, training, larger incomes, reduced child poverty, and greater self-reliance, which probably is the most important benefit from the new program. Welfare caseloads are down more than 50 percent since that historic 1996, and the caseloads continue to decline even in a recession structure. Some of my colleagues might remember the dire predictions of reform opponents in 1996 who predicted that the law, in their words, would cast 1 million more children into poverty. I am glad to report they were wrong. Nearly 3 million children have been lifted from poverty since 1996 in key groups, such as children raised in single-mother households and African American children, who are seeing poverty fall to record-low levels. Now, obviously, we need to continue on these successes, and that is why H.R. 4 is before us today. Our priority is to help more people successfully transition to work in order to know the dignity of collecting a paycheck instead of a welfare check.”