Thomas Daschle: “Obviously, child care was the most significant. As the distinguished leader indicated, this bill provides for $3 billion…”

“Obviously, child care was the most significant. As the distinguished leader indicated, this bill provides for $3 billion over 5 years for childcare services to be provided by the States. That is in addition to the $5 billion over the next 5 years that was originally contemplated in the original Dole bill as well as the Democratic bill that we voted upon earlier. So it represents, in my view, the most significant commitment the Senate has made thus far to the realization that there is a very important investment required in child care if, indeed, we want the recipients of welfare ultimately to find work and to obtain the job skills necessary to work. In my view, as many of us have indicated, this is the linchpin to making welfare work better. Good child care means better participation, means greater success at what it is we are trying to do. So this is really the key of this amendment as well.”