Jeff Duncan: “last night, each Member had the August 12 issue of the New Republic delivered to our offices. As everyone knows, the New…”

“last night, each Member had the August 12 issue of the New Republic delivered to our offices. As everyone knows, the New Republic is a very liberal magazine. Yet this magazine had a lead editorial entitled ``Sign It,'' urging the President to sign the welfare reform bill. The President earlier vetoed a welfare reform bill that passed the Senate 87 to 12. The current bill passed the Senate 74 to 24 and passed by a very large margin in this House. The New Republic says this bill ``will, finally, start the process by which America's underclass problem can be solved.'' The editors said the block grant structure of this bill ``is likely to point the way to ending the `culture of poverty.''' This is a really significant endorsement, Mr. Speaker. The New Republic ended its editorial with these words: The continuing agony of the underclass is destroying our cities, our race relations, our sense of civility, our faith in the possibilities of government. It's worth taking some risks to end it. I urge the President to sign the welfare reform bill.”