Kay Bailey Hutchison: “Mr. President, I seek recognition to ask the majority leader to commit to working with me on an issue that is very…”

“Mr. President, I seek recognition to ask the majority leader to commit to working with me on an issue that is very important to many States, and it is important to the high-growth States that also have very tough problems in meeting their welfare needs, States such as Texas, Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, and Georgia. Many States in the welfare bill were trying to gear up to change their welfare programs. As you know, the welfare reform bill was a 5-year bill, but the temporary assistance for the supplemental grants for high-growth States was only authorized for 4 years. The Finance Committee yesterday marked up and passed out the 1-year extension that would match the welfare bill to help these States. The budget resolution that we passed accommodated the cost of this added 1-year authorization. I am bringing it up because I wanted to offer it as an amendment on the Labor-HHS appropriations bill, but it was considered legislation. It will make a huge budget deficit for many of these States if we do not authorize and appropriate this last year of the supplemental request for the welfare reform bill.”