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For Immediate Release Contact: Amanda Molk, 202-225-5256 House Passes Welfare Reform Legislation On almost an exclusively party-line vote, the House today passed a Republican welfare reform reauthorization bill. “I voted against this bill because it increases work requirements without proportionately increasing childcare funding, decreases education and job training opportunities and maintains the ban on benefits for many legal immigrants,” stated Congresswoman Grace Napolitano (D-CA38). In the past year rising unemployment caused welfare caseloads to grow for the first time since 1997. “Until our economy recovers and our workers are able to find good, well paying jobs, we cannot further diminish our safety net for needy families. Many recipients will be unable to meet these new work requirements, and this bill will leave them with nowhere to turn,” noted the Congresswoman. Congresswoman Napolitano, along with most House Democrats, expressed particular concern with the job training and education component of this welfare bill. “We must expand job training opportunities so that our workers can develop the skills they need to get and keep well-paying jobs with a future. Without training, welfare recipients are forced into low-paying jobs that often do not provide health benefits. They become the working poor, and they are no better off than they were on welfare—sometimes even worse off because they lose their Medicare coverage,” stated Napolitano. The Democrats offered two substitute amendments, but both were defeated. “I supported the Democratic alternatives which would have expanded education and training opportunities, extended benefits to legal immigrants, increased funding for childcare and required states to address barriers to work—such as domestic violence, mental illness and substance abuse,” the Congresswoman said. Welfare reform reauthorization has not yet been considered in the Senate.
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