Date: 2002-05-15
Speaker: TOM DAVIS (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Virginia

Mr. Speaker. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time. and I rise in support of the rule and in support of H.R. 4737. the Personal Responsibility. Work. and Family Protection Act. Mr. Speaker. society benefits from helping the unfortunate lift themselves out of poverty and despair. and society benefits most if we put those people in a position to stay gainfully employed so that they become selfsufficient in as short an amount of time as possible. off the welfare rolls. onto payrolls. In 1996. this Congress reestablished the notion that welfare was a temporary system to help those who had fallen on hard times. not a way of life. The warnings of what would happen. and we heard them then from the other side. predicted 2.6 million people would be pushed into poverty. 12.8 million people falling further into poverty and homelessness. that welfare reform represented the most brutal act of social policies since Reconstruction. stand in stark contrast to what has happened. Child poverty has fallen by nearly 3 million people. More parents are working. and dependence has dramatically fallen with caseloads decreasing by 9 million. from 14 million in 1994 to just 5.million today. These results are encouraging. but there is still much to be done. Today. 58 percent of recipients are neither working nor training. and 2 million families remain dependent on welfare. With H.R. 4735. we reinforce the belief that those receiving benefits are expected to work for them. The number of hours one must work or be engaged in jobpreparation activities rises to 40 hours from 30. However. we also recognize the challenges that exist for a person to obtain quality work. We give States great flexibility in allowing beneficiaries the opportunity to obtain training or education to increase their marketability. Sixteen of the required 40 hours per week can be used for any purpose that the State deems appropriate. be it vocational training. postsecondary education.- or caring for a disabled child. Furthermore. we stipulate that States have total flexibility in designing activities that can be considered work for 3 out of every 24 months. plus an additional month if the individual is pursuing education or training linked to an available job in the local area. I believe these are very generous terms and maintain the kind of State flexibility that has been the key to success for welfare reform so far. In addition. we recognize that increased work requirements will require increased child care resources. To that end we authorize an additional $2 billion for the Child Care Development block grant. Since its enactment in 1996. welfare reform has been a success. We have given a boost to many. many families that ultimately want the same things we all want: the dignity of a job that allows them to be selfsufficient. a home of their own. the means to improve the lives of their children. The vast majority of those on welfare want to work. and any system that creates disincentive to do so is not serving anybody. I am grateful to the gentleman from California and the gentleman from Ohio and the gentleman from Louisiana for their hard work. and I urge adoption of this bill and rule.