Joe Wilson: “over the next couple of weeks we will have a very rewarding experience explaining to the American people the success of…”

“over the next couple of weeks we will have a very rewarding experience explaining to the American people the success of welfare reform by the law that was passed in 1996, but also we will have an excellent opportunity to show how rewarding the reauthorization will be as proposed by President Bush. I am a newcomer myself to Congress. I was sworn in 17 weeks ago today after a special election on December 18. This follows 17 years that I had the privilege to serve in the State Senate of South Carolina. I am honored to be on the Welfare Reform Task Force. I was appointed by the majority whip, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay). I am on the task force to study and promote welfare reform. It is a particular honor for me because there are only two freshmen on the task force, myself and the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Hart). I am certainly with a quality crew serving on that task force. My education in the area of social services, I give credit to my wife, Roxanne. She served for 14 years on the welfare board in our county, the Department of Social Services in Lexington County; and in that capacity I learned first hand of the great work of professional social workers working with persons who needed financial assistance, the problems of elder care and foster care, child care; and I learned firsthand that we have got the best people working to promote services to the people of our country.”