EXTENSIONS of REMARKS November 10, 1993 EXTENSIONS of REMARKS
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29012 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS November 10, 1993 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS WELFARE REFORM Today, either through ignorance or apathy, sponsored by a Democrat, African-American parents are failing to get their children immu Assemblyman, adopted by New Jersey's HON. MARGE ROUKEMA nized, making these children the victims. The Democratic legislature, and signed into law by OF NEW JERSEY Roukema amendment requires that parents, in a Democratic Governor. The Bush administra IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES order to qualify for AFDC benefits, must have tion gave Federal approval to this provision their children properly immunized and up to last year. This was a key component of New Wednesday, November 10, 1993 date on the vaccinations. My amendment Jersey's pioneering welfare reform package of Mrs. ROUKEMA. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased makes State compliance mandatory. 2 years ago, and garnered national attention. to join with over 150 of my Republican col In addition, our bill requires that day care Perhaps most important, earlier this week, leagues this morning in introducing com and child care centers which receive Federal New Jersey's welfare administration reported prehensive welfare reform legislation. moneys must certify that these same immuni that in the first 2 months of this program, preg The legislation we introduce today address zation requirements are met before enrolling a nancies among welfare mothers decreased 18 es the central crisis of our welfare system; child. percent. This fact alone indicates that these namely, that welfare was intended to be a For generations we have taken this ap provisions must be included in any full-scale temporary safety net-not a perpetual web of proach in requiring immunizations for school reform that comes before the House of Rep dependency. Furthermore, our legislation rec enrollment, with remarkable success. When resentatives. ognizes that the philosophical underpinning of we require this immunization, and tell parents One additional area in which I feel our wel welfare reform must be responsibility: of soci that their child won't start school without them, fare reform effort is lacking is child support en ety to the less fortunate, but equally of welfare it happens-parents get their children the forcement. recipients to society and its taxpayers. shots. During consideration of this package in con Our legislation addresses the welfare crisis I would also stress that the immunization of ference, I offered a comprehensive child sup on several fronts. Above all, we have taken children is preventive medicine. Medical and port enforcement amendment to the provisions the pioneering step of requiring welfare recipi scientific evidence shows that every dollar in contained in the Republican task force pack ents to work for their benefits. Parents on wel vested in childhood immunization saves $1 O in age. My amendment was identical to legisla fare must enroll in job training, job search, or future health care costs. Yet despite our vast tion I introduced earlier this year, H.R. 1600, education programs. If they have not inde technology, and remarkably effective vaccines, which implements the recommendations of the pendently found work after 2 years, they must our Nation has begun to face increases in pre U.S. Commission on Interstate Child Support then participate in a State-run jobs program. ventable childhood diseases. Enforcement. The failure of the conference to Last year, in my own State of New Jersey, The Republican welfare bill ends the system adopt this amendment represents, to me, a six children died from an outbreak of measles. of something for nothing, and ensures that step backward. Clearly, we cannot have any These were unnecessary deaths. It is a na AFDC recipients meet reasonable and respon real, comprehensive welfare reform without tional disgrace that in this country-the most sible standards. advanced country on the globe, with the best equally strong reform of our child support en We accept our responsibility in est3blishing forcement system. medical care availabl~we rank with the Third these programs as well. We have dramatically Mr. Speaker, the importance of a strong World bloc when it comes to immunization expanded job training and work programs, and child support title in any welfare system pack standards. included ·the funding necessary to implement I do have several concerns with the Repub age cannot be understated. Invariably, child them. lican package we are introducing today. This support enforcement is welfare prevention. Our bill addresses other, glaring failures in bill is not perfect, and in the months to come, Nonsupport of children by their parents is one our present welfare system. Our legislation I will be working to address what I perceive as of the primary reasons families have to resort prohibits benefits to adolescent mothers, re its shortcomings. to the welfare system in the first place. quiring them to maintain residence in a family In particular, I am concerned that we do not The timely payment of court-ordered support household. We encourage States to adopt definitively prohibit States from increasing is the fulfillment of a moral and legal obliga profamily financial incentives for welfare fami AFDC grants for children born to parents al tion. If we are to advance real welfare reform, lies, and eliminate monetary penalties and ob ready on welfare. we must do everything in our power to ensure stacles to stable family formation. We end the Under the Republican task force package, that these obligations are met. proliferation of welfare benefits for noncitizens. States would be allowed to opt out of this pro Make no mistake about it: Failure to pay We take steps toward addressing the failures vision, by passing a law to exempt them child support is not a victimless crime. The of our child support enforcement system, and selves. It is unclear to me why the Federal children going without these payments are the strengthen the requirements for paternity es Government, paying far and away the lion's first victims. But ultimately, society and the tablishment in welfare programs. share of the AFDC Program, feels the need to American taxpayers are the victims, as they I am particularly pleased that this legislation let States decide just how tough welfare re shoulder the burden of paying the welfare bill includes the Roukema amendment, which re forms ought to be. for those who do not meet their obligations. quires welfare recipients, as a condition of re The definitive prohibition on these benefits Effective child support enforcement keeps ceiving AFDC benefits, to certify that their chil increases should be a linchpin in any welfare people off the public dole, and actually saves dren have been properly immunized. reform effort, and I am disappointed that the the Federal Government money. This is As my colleagues will recall, Republicans conference did not adopt my amendment in broadly recognized across the board: The Na were united this year in voting against the this regard. Under my amendment, we would tional Taxpayers Union estimated that the President's budget package, and the time-hon have told mothers already on welfare that if comprehensive provisions of my amendment ored approach of throwing money at the child they decide to have another child, the Federal would save $25 million in Federal dollars the immunization problem. In that light, the Presi will not subsidize that choice. My amendment first year alone. dent's reconciliation package included more made clear that families on welfare would be The Republican task force package before than $600 million over the next 5 years for im faced with the same choices as every other us contains the beginnings of child support re munization programs. American family: Can we afford another child, form, and my amendment incorporates most However, as I have long maintained, the and how will we stretch our budget to meet of those recommendations. However, my problem here is not money. All objective evi these choices? amendment goes much further in addressing dence indicates that the missing link in pre I would highlight that these reforms have al the underlying flaws in our child support en school immunization is enforceable standards. ready generated bipartisan support. They were forcement system, and making much needed e This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. November 10, 1993 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 29013 changes across the board. As every national LET'S REMEMBER OUR VETERANS Throughout the 217-year history of Ameri authority on child support will affirm: A national ca's struggles, triumphs and determination, child support enforcement system is an essen HON. JOHN D. DINGEll there have always been courageous individ- tial component of welfare reform. Moreover, OF MICHIGAN uals ready to defend the ideals of this great our national enforcement system is only as IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Nation. Among the myriad of brave Americans good as our interstate collection mechanisms. that have stood steadfast against the tide of Wednesday, November 10, 1993 oppression and threats to our way of life, as I was a leading voice in this debate, on both Mr. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to well as the challenges and controversies of the Child Support Enforcement Amendments pay tribute to the brave and patriotic Ameri- their own times, one group stands out for their of 1984, and the Family Support Act of 1988. cans who have served our Nation. Since its sacrifice and commitment to duty. Today we For the last 2 years, I have served as a mem ber of the U.S. Commission on Interstate Child founding, the United States has fought in 11 honor our American veterans everywhere, not major wars and many smaller conflicts.