House Passes Historic Welfare Bill

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, July 18) -- The House today passed a Republican welfare reform bill that transfers power to the states and promises the biggest changes in welfare policy since Roosevelt's New Deal. The vote was 256-170.

The federal government's 61-year-old guarantee of aid to the poor would be replaced by a plan that limits welfare benefits to five years and requires at least 20 hours of work per week after two years. By cutting food stamp nutrition aid and withholding federal benefits to legal immigrants, the program would save nearly $60 billion over six years.

President Bill Clinton, who campaigned on a pledge to "end welfare as we know it," faces intense election-year pressure over the welfare legislation.

"He is going to have to make a determination whether he is going to sign this bill and satisfy the American people while he alienates his left-wing base, or if he is going to veto the bill...to satisfy the left-wing of the Democratic party and alienate the American people," House Majority Leader Dick Armey said.

If Clinton signs the bill, he will rob Dole of a major election issue but also risk alienating liberal Democrats in Congress who favor greater safeguards for poor children.

In a highly partisan debate, Republicans called for the reform of a system they claim has created a hopeless cycle of poverty. Some Democrats claimed that the Republicans were willing to jeopardize children "just to put the president of the United States in a box," as Rep. Robert Matsui (D-Calif.) said. "It's about politics to hurt America's children."

A Senate welfare bill is still under consideration.

House Passes Historic Welfare Bill

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