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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tuesday, March 5, 2002 |
Contact: | HHS Press Office (202) 690-6343 |
"Welfare reform in America worked, despite the dire warnings six years ago by advocacy groups who opposed our efforts to break the cycle of dependency," Secretary Thompson said. "With President Bush's ambitious and bold proposal, we are taking the next step in welfare reform - one that will help families work toward self-sufficiency.
"Under the old AFDC program, everyone was in poverty. What's worse, they had no way out," Secretary Thompson said. "Welfare reform is helping millions of people climb out of poverty. Now, we want to go the next step and help them climb the job ladder by creating more opportunities for education and job training."
That's why the centerpiece of President Bush's proposal is work, coupled with new education, training and substance abuse allowances that will help families climb the career ladder and develop the skills necessary to do so.
The President's proposal:
The $16.5 billion funding will allow states to assist more families than when the program was originally passed in 1996 due to welfare caseload decreases of 56 percent nationwide.
Secretary Thompson called on advocacy groups seeking to make reducing poverty the main priority of welfare reform to endorse the President's proposal, saying "The only way to escape poverty is through work."
Welfare reform has been successful in combating poverty in the United States. Since 1996, when the welfare reform bill was signed into law:
"Right now, we have the opportunity to build upon the obvious successes of 1996 and take that very important next step," Secretary Thompson said. "There is bipartisan support for this next step because we all know that work builds dignity, self reliance and good habits for life."
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