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 Vir-
ginia, 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 fol-
lowing 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 com-
mittee concerned
•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), ap-
proved by large bipartisan majorities of the House of
Representatives and of the Senate, has delivered dra-
matic 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 wel-
fare dependence as part of a decline in national welfare
rolls of more than 50 percent;
Whereas despite these unprecedented gains, 2,000,000 low-in-
come 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-
•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 pro-
grams 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
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep-
resentatives that the 107th Congress should complete ac-
tion on and present to the President, prior to September
30, 2002, legislation extending and strengthening the suc-
cessful 1996 welfare reforms.
Æ