Orrin Hatch: “last week the Senate passed yet another short-term extension of the 1996 welfare law. This marks the eighth temporary…”

“last week the Senate passed yet another short-term extension of the 1996 welfare law. This marks the eighth temporary extension--and the third year we have been unable to improve this program that serves millions of needy families. I rise today to express my disappointment that improving this legislation has not been realized because of efforts by some of my colleagues to undermine the principles and goals of reform. I think we can all agree that welfare reform has been one of the most successful social policy reforms in U.S. history. The 1996 welfare reform legislation made remarkable headway in helping welfare dependents move toward self-sufficiency. It dramatically reduced State welfare caseloads, reduced child poverty, and increased employment. But there is still room for improvement. It is a misfortune that we had to pass yet another short-term extension that doesn't give States the certainty they need to best plan for the future. We passed this welfare extension because we had to--it bought us another 6 months in the hopes that we can finally act on a broader welfare reform bill in the 109th Congress. We want more welfare recipients to prepare for work, which is the true path off welfare. We want to help more parents marry or stay married, which helps them and helps their children. We want to help more parents get ready for full-time work, which is what it takes to lift families out of poverty.…”