IV

107TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. RES. 525

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the 107th Congress

should complete action on and present to the President, before September

30, 2002, legislation extending and strengthening the successful 1996

welfare reforms.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SEPTEMBER 17, 2002

Mrs. NORTHUP (for herself, Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut, Mr. HASTERT,

Mr. SHAW, Mr. PITTS, Mr. GIBBONS, Mr. FORBES, Mr. JEFF MILLER

of Florida, Mr. PUTNAM, Mr. KINGSTON, Ms. PRYCE of Ohio, Mr.

FLETCHER, Mr. HAYWORTH, Mr. TAUZIN, Mr. MCINNIS, Mr. CAMP, Mr.

KENNEDY of Minnesota, Mr. ENGLISH, Mrs. BIGGERT, Mr. PENCE, Mr.

DUNCAN, Mrs. ROUKEMA, Mr. BOEHNER, Mr. SESSIONS, Ms. DUNN of

Washington, Mr. ROGERS of Michigan, Mr. CUNNINGHAM, Mr. CANTOR,

Mr. MCKEON, Mrs. CUBIN, Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico, Mr. NORWOOD,

Mr. GRUCCI, Mr. WATKINS of Oklahoma, Mr. GUTKNECHT, Mr. WOLF,

Mr. GREENWOOD, Mr. BAKER, Mr. VITTER, Mr. FOLEY, Mr.

BALLENGER, Mr. WATTS of Oklahoma, Mr. BROWN of South Carolina,

Mr. BONILLA, Mrs. BONO, Mr. LATOURETTE, Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia, Mr. BARR of Georgia, Mr. DAN MILLER of Florida, Mr. AKIN, Mr.

JENKINS, Mr. HOBSON, Mr. BOOZMAN, Mr. SHADEGG, Mr. GEKAS, Mr.

ISSA, Mr. EVERETT, Mr. SCHROCK, Mr. PETRI, Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN,

Mr. ROYCE, Mr. SHIMKUS, Mr. CHAMBLISS, Mr. RYAN of Wisconsin, Mr.

HASTINGS of Washington, Mr. TERRY, Mr. THUNE, Mr. UPTON, Ms.

HART, Mr. BRADY of Texas, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. SOUDER, Mr.

LEWIS of Kentucky, Mr. SHAYS, Mr. HAYES, Mr. GRAVES, Mr. WILSON

of South Carolina, Mr. DELAY, and Mr. REYNOLDS) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and

Means, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce,

Education and the Workforce, Agriculture, and Financial Services, for a

period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for

consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
2

•HRES 525 IH

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that

the 107th Congress should complete action on and

present to the President, before September 30, 2002,

legislation extending and strengthening the successful

1996 welfare reforms.

Whereas the 1996 welfare reform law (P.L. 104–193), approved by large bipartisan majorities of the House of

Representatives and of the Senate, has delivered dramatic results by promoting record increases in work and

earnings among current and former welfare recipients,

reducing the number of children in poverty by nearly

3,000,000 and achieving record low rates of child poverty

among African-American children and children raised by

single mothers, and lifting 3,000,000 families from welfare dependence as part of a decline in national welfare

rolls of more than 50 percent;

Whereas despite these unprecedented gains, 2,000,000 low-income families remain dependent on welfare, challenging

the Congress to build upon that success by putting even

more Americans on the path to self-reliance;

Whereas changes to the law are needed to better promote the

creation and maintenance of strong two-parent families,

including healthy married families, in order to enhance

child and family well-being;

Whereas further changes are needed to improve the quality

and availability of child care, since the experiences of

young children greatly affect their success in school;

Whereas the House of Representatives, on May 16, 2002,

passed H.R. 4737, the Personal Responsibility, Work,

and Family Promotion Act of 2002, which includes need-
3

•HRES 525 IH

ed enhancements proposed by the President and extends

and strengthens reforms for the coming five years;

Whereas H.R. 4737 would provide a total of

$170,000,000,000 in Federal and State funds to support

work, child care, education, training, and other family

needs;

Whereas the Senate has yet to approve legislation to extend

the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

program, the Child Care and Development Block Grant,

and Title V Abstinence Education State Block Grant programs as required by September 30, 2002; and

Whereas the failure of the 107th Congress to extend the

TANF or child care programs by September 30, 2002,

would threaten the opportunities currently available for

low-income families and create fiscal uncertainty for

States: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that the 107th Congress should complete ac3 tion on and present to the President, prior to September

4 30, 2002, legislation extending and strengthening the suc5 cessful 1996 welfare reforms.

Æ