Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I rise to try to inject a heavy dose of economic reality into what has been a morning of self-congratulation. TANF was not a success because of our brilliance, Mr. Chairman. The economy more than any other factor made TANF a success, yet this bill ignores the economic cycles and is on automatic pilot going in precisely the wrong direction. This is the worst economy in 15 years. Yet we are increasing the hours of work for those who receive TANF and increasing the percentage of families in work-related activities. We have got 6 percent unemployment for those who are already in the workforce with skills. What worries me most, Mr. Chairman, is that TANF has already creamed off the most ready to work, yet we are raising requirements for the hardest to place. This is nuts. This bill is a recipe for failure, not the success we have enjoyed. Look at the racial composition. We are told, hey, we have reduced the rolls. Are the rolls really down? For whites, they are down 5.8 percent; for blacks, they are up 2.1 percent. This is since 1996. And for Hispanics they are up 5.2 percent. In the third quarter, 39 States had increased welfare rolls. In the face of these difficulties, we need more flexibility, not less. Less prescriptiveness, this is the opposite of what this bill is giving us.”