Political Quotes

“I must say that I range between being somewhat offended by that description or concerned about our colleague's ability to read the English language because that is not what this does. The amendment retains the participation levels as stated in the bill. Then it directs the Secretary of HHS to make such adjustments in the rate. That is, a State, instead of being asked to meet a 50-percent standard, may be asked to meet a 55-percent standard, if it is one that is receiving a substantial amount of funds above the national average, as happens to be the case with the State of our colleague who just spoke, or it might be something less than 50 percent if you are getting substantially less than the national average in terms of Federal resources. It just seems to me patently unfair to start 50 States in such different positions in terms of their Federal resources per poor child and then say but at the end of the day they all have to get to the same end position. We retain the mandatory provision. We retain all of the requirements to work. I am proud to come from a State which has one of the demonstration projects which has already gotten in the first few months of operation almost 10 percent of its welfare beneficiaries in jobs, and it is moving toward the goal of having 50 percent of its welfare beneficiaries to work.”