Thomas Daschle: “after 18 months, we are about to pass welfare reform. It has been a long, divisive debate about the direction our Nation…”

“after 18 months, we are about to pass welfare reform. It has been a long, divisive debate about the direction our Nation will follow on fundamental social policy. The initial bill, approved by the House last year, I think, by virtually any standard, was an extreme piece of legislation. As a result, it enjoyed very little public support. Twice the President vetoed extreme legislation, and that resulted in far more bipartisan cooperation in the ensuing months. It is clear that there is a consensus on many concepts relating to welfare reform. Most of us believe the current system is not working, that welfare must be reformed, that welfare as a way of life must end. There is a consensus about the need for work, that able-bodied people should work, that there should not be welfare for those who are unwilling to work. There is a consensus about the need to allow States flexibility and a recognition that South Dakota is different from New York and different from California. There is a consensus that the lack of child care is a major barrier to work, that States need to provide adequate funds to help parents afford it, that the current law with regard to health and safety standards must be maintained and even improved, and that child care needs to become more available and certainly more affordable. So there are points on which there is common ground and a great deal of agreement.…”