Political Quotes

“I just wanted my good friend from Georgia to know that the unfunded mandate in this bill would cost the State of Georgia about $266 million, and Georgia has 16,000 children on the child care waiting list. The question before us is, Do we stand for the dignity of the poor, or do we believe in tough treatment for the poor? Does Congress want to help poor and low-income families, or does Congress want to push them further into poverty? Today we are considering the majority's bill, which would push people further into poverty. This bill proposes to reduce poverty while reducing welfare rolls. After 5 years, welfare cash assistance caseloads have decreased by nearly 50 percent; but overall, poverty has declined by less than 2 percent. Do we stand for a welfare system that gives people a chance to pursue education and training without additional make-work mandates? Work is at the center of the debate, but the majority bill will not help people obtain and keep jobs with decent wages. The bill imposes new requirements and decreases State flexibility. The majority's bill is not what the States support; 41 of 47 States indicate that the administration's proposal, the blueprint for this bill, would cause them to make fundamental changes. The NGA survey found that most States would not be able to meet the new requirements, so we do not stand with the States. Mr. Speaker, this bill encourages work-fare programs that fail to increase earnings and fail to increase employment.”