Thomas Daschle: “As we all know, welfare reform has been one of the most hotly debated issues of this Congress. Two and a half years ago…”

“As we all know, welfare reform has been one of the most hotly debated issues of this Congress. Two and a half years ago President Clinton promised to end welfare as we know it, and the public has reinforced that message by telling us unequivocally that they want to see this done. The ball lies in Congress' court, and we have a clear task in front of us. The House has set the stage by passing the Personal Responsibility Act almost 3 months ago. In fact, the House felt this issue was so pressing that they included welfare reform as one of their 10 highest priorities in the Contract With America. While many of us may disagree with the substantive course the House chose to take, they were clearly responding to a mandate from the public to address this issue in some way. It is now the Senate's turn. The Finance Committee has completed action on a bill that has been reported to the full Senate, and I think I speak for all Senators on my side of the aisle when I say that we are ready for floor consideration of this legislation.”