WASHINGTON, DC -- The Republican's welfare reform plan today passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 234 to 199. Congressman Collin C. Peterson (DFL-7th District) voted against it.
"The Republican's plan is not workable," Peterson said. "I know we need to get tough with the welfare system, but this plan is too extreme and it doesn't fix the problems, it just makes cuts to pay for tax reductions.
"The Deal substitute, which I cosponsored, was the best plan and will be the plan that passes the Congress in the end. Our plan responsibly reformed and coordinated welfare programs and food stamps.
"The Republican welfare reform bill cuts programs that provide financial and nutritional assistance to low-income families to pay for the Republican's tax cut. The bill does little to help recipients move from welfare to work. Education and training services are not provided, and child care is not assured for parents who work. It is not well thought out and is not workable. In addition, assistance would be cut off for children of unwed mothers under age 18 which is not realistic.
"Under the Republican's bill, the school lunch program is turned into block grants, and states can choose to shift up to 20 percent of the block grant into other programs. This is a program that works pretty well and they have not made the case to change it. Up to 2 million children would no longer receive adequate school lunches by the year 2000. This portion of the plan creates 50 new bureaucracies for no good reason. It places children at risk by creating a funding mechanism that can't respond when the economy changes, and it eliminates nutrition standards responsible for improving children's health. Block granting this program will reduce federal funding to Minnesota for School Lunch and WIC by $153 million.
"The majority bill also drastically cuts and erodes the basic safety net to our nation's poor -- the food stamp program, without getting tough on fraud, waste and abuse. It places a cap on annual food stamp expenditures and as a result, the fundamental role of the food stamp program in responding to recessions is likely to be greatly weakened. If the nation faces a recession, benefits to poor and hungry families will be reduced. Under the Republican plan, when poor people need help most, they will receive less. This cap will reduce food stamp funding to Minnesota by $223 million.
"We need welfare reform, but this is not the right bill for the people of this country, and I predict the final bill that passes the Congress will be the Coalition bill."