[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 69 (Friday, May 24, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E932]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         ON WELFARE REFORM AND TANF REAUTHORIZATION LEGISLATION

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MARK UDALL

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 24, 2002

  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I cannot vote for this bill.
  In 1996, Congress passed a largely successful welfare reform bill 
that gave states much more flexibility to manage their own welfare 
assistance programs as they saw fit. This approach has significantly 
reduced the number of people who need welfare and put many impoverished 
people into jobs that have brought their standard of living above the 
poverty level.
  Still, there is more that needs to be done. The 1996 law has helped 
move people from welfare to work. But it has not had similar success in 
helping people escape poverty--and there is no reason anyone should 
live in poverty in the most prosperous country in the world.
  And some important things have changed since 1996--right now, our 
economy is struggling to recover, many businesses have had to lay 
people off, and other firms even have had to shut down.
  So, as we consider whether to renew or revise the 1996 law, we have 
both important opportunities and serious challenges. But this 
Republican Welfare reform bill does not rise to the occasion.
  Their bill would penalize--not assist--people who are trying to 
escape poverty. Their bill takes away the flexibility states have had 
to develop their own programs. It discriminates against legal 
immigrants. It doesn't provide enough funding for childcare. It doubles 
the number of work hours required for mothers with children under the 
age of six and provides a new ``superwaiver'' authority to the 
President to waiver almost any Federal requirement in food stamps and 
housing.
  In short, its most important effect would be to make things worse, 
not better for millions of people--something I cannot support.
  And that's not all--the Republican bill would make it harder for the 
States as well. It has been estimated that this bill dictates up to $11 
billion in unfunded mandates. In fact, I have seen estimates that my 
own state of Colorado might have to pony up an extra $84 million to pay 
for Federal mandates.
  I very much regret that the Republican leadership has insisted on 
depriving the House of the opportunity to pass a better bill. The 
substitute offered by the gentleman from Maryland, Mr. Cardin, 
contained many provisions focused on moving welfare recipients into 
real, wage-paying jobs. It would have provided the states with the 
discretion to determine the best mix of activities needed to move 
recipients toward selfsufficiency. It would have restored the option of 
states to provide assistance to legal immigrant families with Federal 
Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF) funds and eliminated the current 
ban on providing Medicaid to legal immigrant pregnant women and 
children. It would have provided an additional $11 billion for 
mandatory child care funding over the next five years and would have 
increased access to education and training for welfare recipients.
  And, that substitute did not include the new ``superwaiver'' 
authority that the Republican bill gives to the President--a nearly 
unbounded authority that I think is excessive.
  Mr. Speaker, I had hoped it would be possible for me to support 
balanced, bipartisan legislation to build on and broaden the success of 
the 1996 welfare reform law. In particular, I had hoped that the House 
would have the Opportunity to shape a new law that would do more than 
just get people off welfare roles, but instead would make it more 
likely that we could achieve the goal of ending poverty. Unfortunately, 
this bill does not come near to that, and I cannot support it.

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