Thomas Foley: “the welfare reform bill we passed in 1996 has been a rousing success. Republicans should be proud that we helped welfare…”

“the welfare reform bill we passed in 1996 has been a rousing success. Republicans should be proud that we helped welfare recipients achieve independence through work. We should be proud that we have protected children, strengthened families, and helped millions achieve success. If Members do not believe me, let me define success in the terms of the Republican-led welfare reform legislation. Mr. Speaker, nearly 3 million children have been lifted from poverty. Work among mothers most likely to go on welfare has risen by 40 percent. Nine million people left welfare, a 60 percent drop. That, Mr. Speaker, is the definition of success. Welfare reform is working, but in order to get more people from welfare to work, we must continue to improve the system. In the past 6 years, we have seen welfare cases fall by 14 million to just 5 million people. By reaching out to Americans in need, we have changed our society for the better, and have changed the lives of millions of Americans forever. We are making progress. Let us not rest on our laurels. Let us strengthen the path towards independence by empowering people to support themselves. Vote yes on H.R. 4700.”