Date: 1995-03-21
Speaker: SAM JOHNSON (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. dren and poor families in America fails Chairman. I rise in support of H.R. 4 every test of true welfare reform. because I think after 30 years and $5 The Republican bill is tough on chiltrillion. the taxpayers and welfare re- dren and weak on work. This plan will cipients deserve better. We need fun-. punish children who happen to be born damental changes. We need a system into poverty. At the same time. this that does not trap welfare recipients in plan cuts child care funding and other an endless cycle of dependency. programs that are essential if an adult I cannot believe that Members can on welfare is to get a job and leave the come to this floor and say this bill is welfare rolls. cruel or meanspirited. It is those who Instead of fixing welfare and moving protect the current system that are Americans from welfare to work. the Republican bill is simply an exercise in cutting programs that serve children. the disabled. and families living in poverty. What can possibly be the motive for launching such a cruel attack on the children of America? The answer Is the Republican majority will cut programs for the poor to provide tax cuts for the wealthy. Cuts in child care. school lunches. and programs for the poor will be used to finance tax. breaks like the capital gains tax cut. We are literally shortchanging Americas children to give tax breaks to individuals with incomes over $100.000 a year. The Republican bill Will punish over 15 million innocent American children. It would punish children who are born outofwedlock to a mother under the age of 18. IV punishes any child who happens to be born to a family already on welfare. This bill does not guarantee that a child will have safe child care when their parents work. It cuts SSI benefits to over 680.000 disabled children. Under this bill. State accountability for the death of a child is limited simply to reporting the childs death. Finally. this bill adds to the injuries of abused and neglected children by cutting $2 billion from Federal programs to care for these children. Americans must ask what will happen to these children? The result. without a question will be an increase in the number of children who go to bed hungry. The Republican bill will increase the risk of a child in poverty suffering from abuse and neglect. And yes. the result will be that some mothers who want to give birth to a child will be pushed to consider ending their pregnancy. The Republican bill is a cruel attack on Americas children but it also fails to provide. the essential tools needed by parents who want to move from welfare to work. A mother who takes a minimum wage job can only do so if she has access to safe child care. Unfortunately. this bill will cut Federal funds for child care by 25. percent in the year 2000. This means that over 400.000 fewer children will receive Federal child care assistance. Pennsylvania alone will lose $25.7 million in Federal child care assistance funding by the year 2000. That means that over 15.000 children in Pennsylvania will be denied Federal assistance for safe child care. The legislation will result in Americas poor children being left home alone. Mothers who are required by the State to work will no longer be guaranteed child care. States that seek to provide childcare assistance will have to make up for Federal child care cuts by raiding other State programs or increasing State taxes. Again. the Republican bill is tough on children and weak on work. It allows States to push a person off the welfare rolls and then count that person toward meeting the Republicans socalled work requirement. There is no requirement for education. training. and support services for individuals who need help moving from welfare to a job. In fact. nearly $10 billion for job trainingprograms have been cut from the first Republican welfare plan. Apparently these funds were needed more to pay for tax cuts for upper income Americans. Mr. Chairman. the Republican plan is not welfare reform. It is a cruel attack on children that fails to solve the welfare mess. I urge that the House reject the Republican plan.