Rob Portman: “I commend him for the legislation before us today which extends and builds on the very successful welfare legislation…”

“I commend him for the legislation before us today which extends and builds on the very successful welfare legislation that this House passed back in 1996, truly one of the best pieces of legislation we have enacted during my time in Congress. Amazing success. We have lifted 2.7 million children out of poverty through this welfare legislation over the last 7 years. We have reduced welfare caseloads by 60 percent. In my own State of Ohio, 267,000 people have left welfare and instead started working; and they are enjoying now the dignity and the self-respect that comes with work. It is hard to argue with that success. I commend the gentleman from Maryland, the ranking member on the subcommittee, for his work with the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Shaw) and now with the gentleman from California on this legislation. I know he shares our same goals, but I would have to dispute what his colleague from Maryland just said about this being a hard-hearted reauthorization of welfare reform. Hardly hard-hearted.”